A Crisp Snap

I pushed past the patio door to check on the quiet green boxes outside. In the corner of a weathered cedar planter, a tiny wooden plant marker had tipped sideways into the dark mulch. I stopped two steps back... tilting my head. A dry thyme twig was leaning against its notched top. I crept close, placing one plush paw against the smooth pine stick. I pushed gently. Snap. The brittle twig snapped in two with a tiny, satisfying pop, and the marker settled straight into the damp earth. I rested my chin on the planter edge, listening to the quiet noon garden.