Cindy makes a wish

Cindy sat crammed in the back seat with her two brothers while her sister sat in the front seat with her mom and two older sisters.

No matter where she went, there was always someone else there. At home she shared her room with her two sisters so her part of the room was the middle since she was the youngest the older two had first dibs on everything.

Even mornings with only one bathroom there was usually two of them in the bathroom getting ready for school at one time. The only time she truly ever spent alone was when she would take her dolls and hide out in the closet just to get away from all the noise in the house, and even then, her brothers would come and find her.
Today she thought that maybe since it was her sixth birthday, today maybe she could have a few minutes all to herself.

At school, everybody wished her a happy birthday and followed her all day long. Then back into the crowded car and home for a crowded supper with her grandparents visiting to wish her a happy birthday.
As her mother brought out her cake, she decided on her wish. She looked at the cake and her grandmother spoke softly in her ear, “Cindy, be careful what you wish for.”

Cindy wished as hard as she could, though she never told her wish, and she blew out all her candles.Since it was dark outside when she blew out the candles, everything got dark. Cindy sat for a few minutes expecting her mother to turn on the lights and cut the cake. Nothing happened, she could not hear anything at all, not her brothers’ whispers or her sisters’ giggling and the lights did not come on. She thought it was all so silly so she got up and turned on the lights.

Everyone was gone. At first, she thought it was a trick, or maybe this is just to surprise her with a big present. Then she remembered what her grandma, had said. “Be careful what you wish for.” She smiled and jumped up and down, she was alone!
She sat and listened, the house was so quiet.