“Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Emily, happy birthday to you!”
The little girl’s smile was wide and toothy and her blue eyes swept back and forth between the brightly glowing four candles on her cake and the five adults singing just for her. She clapped her hands to match the adults when the singing was over and followed the directions her parents gave her to blow out the birthday candles on the cake in front of her.
She took a big breath, pursed her lips and made to blow out the flames when her mother, yellow-haired and pretty like her, stopped her with a laugh.
“Wait, Emmy. Make a wish first! Anything you want!”
The little girl screwed her eyes closed in intense concentration. She knew what she wanted the most in the wide world. More than a new dolly, a pony, or pretty dress.
She wanted a baby sister. Or brother. She didn’t quite know if she would like boys, but as long as it was little and let her hold him, she would be willing to try.
“I want…Mommy to have another baby!” Emily cried in delight.
The deafening silence that went around the room was just a second too long, and the looks the adults exchanged with each other were far too different from the looks of happiness they’d just been wearing. The little girl’s brow crumpled and she wondered if she was in trouble, or had said something bad. She was about to ask or start crying when her mother inhaled, looked at her father, and then smiled brightly.
“Okay, well, wish on it really hard and blow out that candle, then! And you never know.”
The little girl focused on the four dancing flames in front of her so wholly that she completely missed the next round of concerned glances that passed between her parents and grandparents.
They all wished for the very same thing.