The Water Lens

I shuffled onto the low cedar plant stand tucked safely beneath the florist's wide canvas awning. Resting on the slats was a discarded botanical postcard with a glossy finish. A fat, rounded water bead had landed right on the print, sitting plump and clear without soaking into the card. Pausing to steady my plush paws against the wood, I pressed one side down to tilt the paper slightly. The glossy droplet glided slowly across the surface, acting just like a tiny magnifying lens. It swelled the delicate printed veins of a fern leaf into bold, crisp threads as I guided the water over each green frond.