A Gentle Glow

I climbed up beside a small unlit tealight resting in a clear glass cup on the dark mantelpiece. Night had settled deeply into the corners of the room. When a faint amber lamp was turned on across the rug, its warm light traveled through the glass rim, bending toward me. I reached out and gently rested both hands against the smooth, thick base of the holder. Pale, amber rings rippled softly across the polished dark wood at my feet. In the quiet dimness, I leaned close, watching the light pool within the cold wax.