His smile only lasted until he saw the contents.
“What the hell is this?” he snapped.
Captain Reyes remained silent.
She peeked inside the box once more.
A small brass compass rested on a dark velvet.
Beside it was a note in neat black writing, which Captain Reyes read loud enough for the entire beach to hear.
“For those who help others find their way.”
Her lips tightened.
Then he noticed the second line.
“Today, a child almost forgot why he came to this beach.”
Nobody laughed.
Nobody applauded.
This made the silence even heavier.
The woman scanned the crowd and finally realized that no one was looking at her the way she had hoped.