Securing the Corner

The overhead pendant had been switched off, leaving just the soft microwave clock light over the kitchen counter. Before turning in, I noticed a graphic printed takeout menu pinned to the low corkboard beside the bread bin; the bottom corner had slipped free from a brass thumb tack and was curling up. I stepped over, planted my boots firmly on the smooth laminate, and examined the tack. It was loose by a fraction of an inch. Bracing my shoulder against the edge of the board, I pushed the flat brass head with the heel of my palm until it sank deep into the cork with a muffled thud. The stiff paper smoothed out flush against the grain, square and quiet for the night.