would replace its rows of humming machines. Attendant Clara found a jar of mismatched buttons collected from pockets, cuffs, uniforms, and wedding shirts over twenty years. On the last day, customers came not for refunds but to search the jar and tell where the buttons belonged. Clara later sewed them into a curtain for the new pickup counter. The room no longer thumped with dryers, but the curtain clicked softly whenever someone opened the door. Stem: Which theme does the passage most strongly imply?