A Bedtime Harbor

The quiet hallway lamp upstairs dimmed to a warm hush, so I decided to make my walnut boat ready for sleep. I gathered a dry, curled eucalyptus leaf resting by the terracotta base and gently steered it over my lap like a curved blanket. Then, reaching my plush paw over the shell's wooden edge, I nudged the blue-swirl marble snug against the curve to stop any drifting. From deep inside my round clay harbor, the cool night air felt peaceful and still. I rested my chin against the shell's rim, let out a sleepy, bubbly sigh, and watched the quiet shadows tuck the world in.