A Soft Blue Bookmark

I nudged my way into the quiet space on the bottom shelf between two thick old books. Tucked deep in the shadows, a ribbon of velvet bookmark had curled onto the dusty wood. I sat quietly for a long moment, watching how the warm lamplight barely reached the dark fabric. Slowly, I smoothed out its creases using the flat of my soft hands, aligning its fringed edge parallel to the spine of the ledger beside me. Tucked between the paper and the oak, it felt like the right spot to rest.