A Stamp of Red Wax

A smooth red disc of sealing wax was resting near the corner of the low bookshelf. I watched it quietly for a breath, then reached out with both paws to turn it over. On the back, pressed deep into the cool, hard wax, was the shape of an open flower with five tiny petals. I laid a flat white strip of paper beside it and pressed the seal down into the grain. When I lifted it away, the neat little impression sat there, clear and round. It felt like holding a tiny secret that someone had carefully pressed shut.