In Mara’s early days at the Alderveil, a cracked cup seems like one more ordinary problem to solve. The inn needs supplies, repairs, and a great many things put in order, and Mara is good at putting things in order. But when six sensible new cups arrive, one old, mismatched cup refuses to become quite as unnecessary as it ought to be.

The Cup That Didn’t Match is a quiet Alderveil story about mending, usefulness, and the small ways a place begins to feel like home.