The Lighthouse Keeper’s Greenhouse
Chapter 1 - Glass above the water
After the lighthouse became automated, Walter stayed in the nearby cottage and built a greenhouse. He planted tomatoes, determined to grow something in a place famous for wind and salt.
The first storm broke three panes. He replaced them alone. The second storm loosened the frame. A neighbor, Ada, offered help, but he refused. He had maintained the lighthouse for decades; he could manage a small garden.
Ada asked whether maintaining it had also meant doing everything alone. Walter remembered technicians, supply crews and people checking the road after storms. He did not answer.
The next morning he walked to Ada's house with a sketch of the damaged frame.
