A Cinnamon Roll's Paper Crown

A sweet whiff of warm cardamom and toasted pastry led me up onto the dining table this morning. Resting beside a white ceramic mug, a small striped baking cup had slipped loose from a cinnamon bun, its pleated wax paper spreading out like a wrinkled skirt. Standing on tiptoe, I smoothed down each crease between my plush paws, turning the paper until it curled back into a tidy fluted cup. I slipped a clean wooden honey dripper inside its hollow center. It settled with a gentle wooden clink, standing upright and neat in the morning stillness.