Flotation Trial

I laid two dry wooden craft sticks parallel on the sunlit windowsill. Near the baseboard, a discarded strip of yellow vinyl tape lay coiled. I smoothed the adhesive strip flat with my thumb, then wrapped it tightly around the midsection of both sticks to lock them into a stable twin-hull frame. Two inches away, the shallow ceramic saucer beneath the succulent pot held a pool of clear water. Bracing my boots against the painted wood sill, I lifted the frame and eased it down onto the surface. It rested cleanly on the water, sending small circular ripples to the glazed rim. Zero draft, zero listing.