Jonatha looked at the clock on Mikelle’s wall. They had been playing with Mikelle’s dolls for nearly an hour now. Jonatha put the doll that he was playing with down.
“I think that that’s enough for now, Mikelle.”
“Ooooohhh,” Mikelle said, pouting.
“I can’t play dollies all day. There are other things that I’d like to do.”
“Aww, alright,” Mikelle replied sadly.
“Why don’t you go and see if Zoe will play?” Jonatha suggested. Mikelle nodded and got up while Jonatha headed to his room.
He sat on his bed. Today was the first time since the wish that he didn’t have any plans. Jade was busy getting ready for his date, and after the wish for new memories, he had decided that he didn’t need Jonatha’s help after all.
As Jonatha pondered on what to do, his eyes fell to an old family photo. He could tell that it had been taken a long time ago, as his father was in it. Jonatha picked the frame up and studied it carefully. Both of his parents looked young, his mother in particular. Gone were the wrinkles that lined her face, caused by the worry of running a successful business and having to raise three kids on her own. Jonatha thought about his mother and how hard she had it.
He wished that she could find someone to make it easier for her, someone to take the weight off her shoulders a bit. Then, Jonatha had an idea. He reached under his bed and pulled out the box which held the magical stone that his grandfather (or was that grandmother now?) had left him.
Maybe he could wish for someone? Jonatha took the stone out of the box and held it in his hand. He was about to make a wish when he stopped. He didn’t want to create some sort of artificial love for his mother, even if she wouldn’t think that. It didn’t seem right.
He carefully placed the stone back in its box and under the bed. He looked at the picture again and sighed.
Just then his mom poked her head around the door.
“Oh, Jonatha... there you are, honey." She saw the look on her son’s face and came further into the room, getting down on one knee in front of him.
“Is something wrong?”
“I was just looking at this old photo.” Jonatha explained, pointing to the picture. “You and dad seemed so happy back then.”
Lin nodded.
“What happened?”
Lin sighed. She had been expecting this question for a long time now. When they were younger, she had told her kids that they had gotten divorced, but not why. She took a deep breath as she started to explain.
