Promises in Glass

Every turn of the lamp released another promise. A baker would repay a loan. A sister would return a letter. The lighthouse had collected them from sailors passing its beam. Mara searched for her father's voice, but found a different recording: "If I cannot return, let someone else find the shore." Beneath the lamp was a cracked mirror. Its silver backing had peeled away, leaving a dark gap in the beam. Mara took the small mirror from her toolbox and fitted it into the empty frame.