A Bedtime Rest

Coming home from the garden trail, I climbed up onto the round wooden side table to wind down. A stack of folded cotton tea towels lay next to a small ceramic nightlight. I pulled one thick cream cloth flat with both hands, smoothing the tiny wrinkles until it formed a soft, square mattress. Propping an empty matchbox up as a sturdy headboard against the lamp base, I sat down and rested my boots against the warm cotton. A soft, lingering two-note hum slipped out as the quiet glow settled over the corner.