"I wish that Jon was here."
In the room materialized their son. If they didn't know the stone was magic from suddenly getting knowledge of its abilities, they knew now.
"And," said Jon's mother, "I wish that 'forever' in the other wish means what an 11 year old thinks of as forever, and everyone knows even a few months seem like forever to an 11 year old. And I wish Jon had his friends back from before that wish."
"Mom? What? The stone?"
"Jon! Oh, my poor Jon... I'm so sorry this happened to you. Losing all of your friends because of a stupid magic stone..."
"What do you mean?"
"It was an accidental wish by Lucy. She wished she was your only best friend and she didn't even know what she was doing."
"What? You mean... oh, how could this happen to me? I didn't lose all my other friends. And Karyn didn't really become shallow. It was all Grandpa's stone."
"No," said Jon's mother, "the friends were because of the stone, but Karyn wasn't. She really did become shallow. That's what set the whole thing off in the first place." She held out the stone to Jon. "Do you want this thing?"
"Why are you asking me, Mom?"
"Because I want to be sure you think you can handle it. Your grandfather gave it to you, after all, and I know this was just an accident. But if you really think you can't handle it yet, we'll keep the stone."
Jon was horrified at the idea that his parents would keep the stone. He would lose so much. "I... Mom, please, I want my stone..."
She gave him the stone and he let out a large sigh of relief. "Now," he said, "what can I do about Karyn? I could wish that she likes me, but I don't want people to like me by magic. It would be like what Lucy did to me."
