A Row of Shell Buttons

I walked down the sunny street and slipped into the quiet neighborhood sewing shop. In a shallow wooden compartment tray on the counter, loose buttons were sorted by color. Near the edge lay a small cluster of round, iridescent mother-of-pearl buttons. Using both plush hands, I picked up three of them one by one. With gentle patience, I lined them up along the grain of a linen measuring tape resting nearby. Spaced neatly apart, their pale shimmer looked just like miniature stepping stones resting across a sandy path.