The town of Willowmere was known for its lantern festival. Every year, on the first full moon of spring, hundreds of glowing lanterns would rise into the sky, carrying wishes, dreams, and whispered secrets.
Mia had always loved the festival. As a child, she would run through the cobblestone streets, chasing after the floating lights, imagining that each one held a story waiting to be told. But now, as she stood by the river, lantern in hand, she felt strangely hesitant.
This year, she wasn’t sure what to wish for.
“Still deciding?”
The voice was familiar—warm, teasing.
Mia turned to see Ethan standing beside her, holding his own lantern. His dark eyes reflected the golden lights from the festival, and his usual easygoing smile was softer tonight.
“I guess so,” she admitted. “You?”
He chuckled. “I make the same wish every year.”
Mia raised an eyebrow. “And?”
Ethan tilted his head, as if considering his answer. “Can’t tell you. That’s how wishes work, remember?”
She rolled her eyes but smiled anyway.
For years, Mia and Ethan had been friends—ever since the summer he had moved to town. They had spent countless nights on rooftops, watching the stars, and countless mornings laughing over terrible coffee at the town’s only café.
But lately, something between them had changed. The silences were heavier, the glances lingered longer. And now, standing together beneath the glow of the lanterns, Mia felt like they were at the edge of something she couldn’t quite name.
Ethan exhaled, shifting his lantern between his hands. “You know, Mia… people say if you release your lantern at the same time as someone else, your fates get tied together.”
Mia’s heart skipped. “Oh? And how many people have you tested that theory with?”
Ethan smirked. “Just you.”
Her breath caught. “Ethan…”
Before she could finish, he reached for her hand—the one holding her lantern.
“Let’s find out,” he murmured.
And together, they lifted their lanterns, releasing them into the sky.
Mia watched as they floated upward, side by side, blending into the hundreds of glowing lights above. But as beautiful as the sight was, she found herself more focused on Ethan—on the way he was watching her instead of the lanterns, as if she were the wish he had been making all along.
As their hands brushed against each other, he whispered, “Mia, can I tell you my wish now?”
She nodded, breathless.
“You,” he said simply. “It’s always been you.”
Mia didn’t need to wish for anything else.
Because in that moment, she knew—some wishes weren’t meant for the sky. They were meant for the people standing right beside you, waiting to come true.
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