The Amber Button

One step. Then another... felt feet pressing into the warm wood. Just ahead, near the baseboard, something caught the morning light. A spare wooden button, smooth and amber-brown, resting on its side against a fold of curtain. I paused for a long while, watching it quietly. It did not stir. So I leaned forward, inch by inch, and nudged its edge with my arm. It wobbled, rolled a half turn, and clicked softly against the floorboard before settling flat. It is warm to the touch. I think I will stay here beside it.