diff --git a/client/src/styles.css b/client/src/styles.css
index d254665..edd9ac9 100644
--- a/client/src/styles.css
+++ b/client/src/styles.css
@@ -215,9 +215,11 @@ button.danger { background: #5a2a2a; border-color: #7a3a3a; color: #fff; }
      width per cell in this 5-column grid — workable for a single digit
      ("1".."5") but not the two-character "−1".."−5" remove-row labels,
      which overflowed into the next cell and got visually clipped by its
-     opaque background. Horizontal-only override keeps the existing
-     vertical spacing/centering, just frees up room sideways. */
-  padding: 12px 4px;
+     opaque background. `em` (relative to this rule's own font-size,
+     not a fixed px) so the fix keeps working if font-size ever changes
+     instead of quietly re-breaking — mara's ask on the PR. Horizontal-
+     only, vertical spacing/centering untouched. */
+  padding: 0.46em 0.15em;
   font-size: 26px;
   font-weight: 800;
 }