diff --git a/_extensions/closeread/closeread.css b/_extensions/closeread/closeread.css
index 038158c..7c3e0c2 100644
--- a/_extensions/closeread/closeread.css
+++ b/_extensions/closeread/closeread.css
@@ -17,7 +17,10 @@
   padding-block: 45svh;
   padding-inline: 24px;
 }
-.cr-section .narrative-col .trigger p {
+.cr-section .narrative-col .trigger .narrative {
+  padding: 0.7em 0.75em;
+}
+.cr-section .narrative-col .trigger .narrative > p {
   margin-bottom: 0;
 }
 .cr-section .sticky-col {
@@ -91,7 +94,7 @@
   .cr-section.overlay-center .narrative-col .narrative {
     background-color: rgba(17, 17, 17, 0.85);
     color: white;
-    padding: 5px;
+    padding: 0.3em 0.5em;
     border-radius: 5px;
   }
   .cr-section.sidebar-left .sticky-col,
@@ -120,7 +123,6 @@
 .overlay-right .narrative-col .narrative {
   background-color: rgba(17, 17, 17, 0.85);
   color: white;
-  padding: 5px;
   border-radius: 5px;
 }
 .overlay-left .sticky-col,
@@ -148,6 +150,9 @@
   grid-column: 1;
   margin-inline: 0;
 }
+.sidebar-left .narrative-col .narrative {
+  padding: 0 0.75em;
+}
 .sidebar-left .sticky-col {
   grid-column: 2;
 }
@@ -159,6 +164,9 @@
   grid-column: 2;
   margin-inline: 0;
 }
+.sidebar-right .narrative-col .narrative {
+  padding: 0 0.75em;
+}
 .sidebar-right .sticky-col {
   grid-column: 1;
 }
diff --git a/_extensions/closeread/closeread.css.map b/_extensions/closeread/closeread.css.map
index 5cefc20..b2db67a 100644
--- a/_extensions/closeread/closeread.css.map
+++ b/_extensions/closeread/closeread.css.map
@@ -1 +1 @@
-{"version":3,"sourceRoot":"","sources":["closeread.scss"],"names":[],"mappings":"AACA;AAGA;AAEA;AAEA;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;AAMA;EACE;EACA;;AAEA;EACE;;AAEA;EACE;EACA;;AAEA;EACE;;AAKN;EACE;;AAIA;EACE;EACA;EACA;EACA;EACA;;AAEA;EACE;EACA;EAGA;EAEA,YACE;;AAMJ;EACE,YACE;;AAGJ;EACE,YACE;;AAKJ;EACE;;AAIA;EACE;EAEA,YACE;;AAGF;EACE;EAEA,YACA;;AAMJ;EACE;EAEA;;AAGA;EACE;EAEA;;AAIF;EACE;EAEA;;;AASZ;AACA;EACE;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;IAKE;;EAEA;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;IACE;IACA;IACA;;EAEA;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;IACE;IACA;IACA;IACA;;EAIJ;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;IACE;;;AAQN;AAAA;AAAA;EAGE;;AAEA;AAAA;AAAA;EACE;EACA;EACA;EACA;;AAEA;AAAA;AAAA;EACE;EACA;EACA;EACA;;AAIJ;AAAA;AAAA;EACE;;;AAMF;EACE;;;AAIF;EACE;;;AAIF;EACE;;;AAMJ;EACE;;AAEA;EACE;EACA;;AAGF;EACE;;;AAGJ;EACE;;AAEA;EACE;EACA;;AAGF;EACE;;;AAKJ;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;EAKE;;AAEA;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;EACE;EACA;EACA;EACA;EACA;;AAGF;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;EACE;;;AAKJ;AAEA;EAEE;AAEA;AAAA;EAEA;EACA;EAEA;EACA;EAGA;;AAGA;EACE;;AAGF;EACE;;;AAIJ;EAEE;EAGA;EACA;EAGA;EAEA;EACA;EAGA;;AAGA;EACE;EAEA;;AAGF;EACE;;;AAKJ;AAKE;EACE;EACA;;AAIF;EACE;;AAKA;EACE;EACA;EACA;;AAEA;EACE;;;AAOR;AAII;EACE;EACA;;AAEA;EACE","file":"closeread.css"}
\ No newline at end of file
+{"version":3,"sourceRoot":"","sources":["closeread.scss"],"names":[],"mappings":"AACA;AAGA;AAEA;AAEA;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;AAMA;EACE;EACA;;AAEA;EACE;;AAEA;EACE;EACA;;AAEA;EAEE;;AAIA;EACE;;AAOR;EACE;;AAIA;EACE;EACA;EACA;EACA;EACA;;AAEA;EACE;EACA;EAGA;EAEA,YACE;;AAMJ;EACE,YACE;;AAGJ;EACE,YACE;;AAKJ;EACE;;AAIA;EACE;EAEA,YACE;;AAGF;EACE;EAEA,YACA;;AAMJ;EACE;EAEA;;AAGA;EACE;EAEA;;AAIF;EACE;EAEA;;;AASZ;AACA;EACE;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;IAKE;;EAEA;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;IACE;IACA;IACA;;EAEA;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;IACE;IACA;IACA;IACA;;EAIJ;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;IACE;;;AAQN;AAAA;AAAA;EAGE;;AAEA;AAAA;AAAA;EACE;EACA;EACA;EACA;;AAEA;AAAA;AAAA;EACE;EACA;EACA;;AAIJ;AAAA;AAAA;EACE;;;AAMF;EACE;;;AAIF;EACE;;;AAIF;EACE;;;AAMJ;EACE;;AAEA;EACE;EACA;;AAEA;EACE;;AAIJ;EACE;;;AAGJ;EACE;;AAEA;EACE;EACA;;AAEA;EACE;;AAIJ;EACE;;;AAKJ;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;EAKE;;AAEA;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;EACE;EACA;EACA;EACA;EACA;;AAGF;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;AAAA;EACE;;;AAKJ;AAEA;EAEE;AAEA;AAAA;EAEA;EACA;EAEA;EACA;EAGA;;AAGA;EACE;;AAGF;EACE;;;AAIJ;EAEE;EAGA;EACA;EAGA;EAEA;EACA;EAGA;;AAGA;EACE;EAEA;;AAGF;EACE;;;AAKJ;AAKE;EACE;EACA;;AAIF;EACE;;AAKA;EACE;EACA;EACA;;AAEA;EACE;;;AAOR;AAII;EACE;EACA;;AAEA;EACE","file":"closeread.css"}
diff --git a/_extensions/closeread/closeread.scss b/_extensions/closeread/closeread.scss
index a6897e4..8a795dc 100644
--- a/_extensions/closeread/closeread.scss
+++ b/_extensions/closeread/closeread.scss
@@ -23,9 +23,17 @@
       padding-block: 45svh;
       padding-inline: 24px;
 
-      p {
-        margin-bottom: 0; // override bootstrap rule
+      .narrative {
+
+        padding: 0.7em 0.75em;
+
+        // override bootstrap margin when using a single paragraph trigger
+        // (but not when wrapping multiple pars with a div)
+        > p {
+          margin-bottom: 0;
+        }
       }
+
     }
   }
 
@@ -131,7 +139,7 @@
       .narrative {
         background-color: rgba(17, 17, 17, .85);
         color: white;
-        padding: 5px;
+        padding: 0.3em 0.5em;
         border-radius: 5px;
       }
     }
@@ -159,7 +167,6 @@
     .narrative {
       background-color: rgba(17, 17, 17, .85);
       color: white;
-      padding: 5px;
       border-radius: 5px;
     }
   }
@@ -194,6 +201,10 @@
   .narrative-col {
     grid-column: 1;
     margin-inline: 0;
+
+    .narrative {
+      padding: 0 0.75em;
+    }
   }
 
   .sticky-col {
@@ -206,6 +217,10 @@
   .narrative-col {
     grid-column: 2;
     margin-inline: 0;
+
+    .narrative {
+      padding: 0 0.75em;
+    }
   }
 
   .sticky-col {
diff --git a/docs/gallery/examples/auden-poem/index.qmd b/docs/gallery/examples/auden-poem/index.qmd
index 9debadf..884efab 100644
--- a/docs/gallery/examples/auden-poem/index.qmd
+++ b/docs/gallery/examples/auden-poem/index.qmd
@@ -61,4 +61,4 @@ No matter how familiar a poem is, rereading it always gives me a sense of first
 \
 \
 
-This is an excerpt of the first three lines of *A Poem (and a Painting) About the Suffering That Hides in Plain Sight* by Elisa Gabbert, appearing in *The New York Times* on March 6, 2022 (<https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/03/06/books/auden-musee-des-beaux-arts.html>) 
\ No newline at end of file
+This is an excerpt of the first three lines of [*A Poem (and a Painting) About the Suffering That Hides in Plain Sight*](https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/03/06/books/auden-musee-des-beaux-arts.html) by Elisa Gabbert, appearing in *The New York Times* on March 6, 2022.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docs/index.qmd b/docs/index.qmd
index c239b51..b09477a 100644
--- a/docs/index.qmd
+++ b/docs/index.qmd
@@ -36,8 +36,9 @@ Step two: open up a closeread section. [@cr-doc]{highlight="8-20"}
 
 Step three: flag an element to become a sticky. [@cr-doc]{highlight="14-18"}
 
-:::{focus-on="cr-doc" highlight="12" style="padding-bottom: 100dvh"}
 Step four: create a trigger to make the sticky appear. [@cr-doc]{highlight="12"}
+
+:::{style="height: 40dvh; visibility: hidden"}
 :::
 
 :::{#cr-doc filename="myfirstcr.qmd" .scale-to-fill}