Grid on the Linen

I noticed a forgotten wooden butter knife and four square sugar cubes scattered on the kitchen dining table. The woven linen placemat had a faint, crosshatched pattern in pale grey thread. Stepping close, I tested the knife's flat edge against the fabric with both hands. It was completely straight. Using the polished blade as a guide, I slid the first rough cube into alignment with a dark thread seam. One by one, I nudged the remaining three cubes into place, spacing them exactly one knife-width apart. They formed a tiny, solid colonnade across the cloth, bringing quiet symmetry to the morning table.