Hard of Earring

Itouched my earlobe. There was a split second of disbelief before reality hit my brain. I turned my head to the right to see my reflection in the mirror. Left ear, earring. Right ear… nothing.

I told myself not to panic. I’d just changed out of my bleach-spattered top after cleaning floors and scrubbing bathrooms. My brand-new white gold earring was probably caught on a thread.

But turning the top inside out and back again produced nothing. I frantically flapped it in the air, hoping to hear a little clang of an earring hitting the floor, all the while trying to think when I’d last seen it.

My stomach began its descent as I realized I’d forgotten to take my earrings out the night before — something that never happens. Which meant I’d slept in them, which led to the logical conclusion that the missing earring was in my bed.