How Many Candles Will it Take?

How Many Candles Will it Take?

793 words

The days are long and warm. The air is filled with the sweet smell of flowers and the joyous buzz of children at play. Cathryn sits at her kitchen table in the throws of her favorite day dream.

"Cathryn!" her mother bellowed as though she had been calling her for hours. "Your birthday is in just two weeks...why won't you tell me what you want dear? Has Paul made any plans for your big day? You know you only turn 40 once."

"Oh, Mother, must you behave so? It is just another birthday like the gazillions of others I've already celebrated."

"Ok, dear if that is how you want it so be it, but my fortieth birthday was the most amazing day of my life. I'll talk to you later, dear I have to meet Al at the car dealership, the Lexus need a check up."

Cathryn kissed her mother and reached for her coffee. "Yuckie!" It was ice cold, maybe her mother had been calling her for hours. Most magical day of her life, which day hasn't been magical since she married Al? I need to strop wishing and dreaming about a house. It's just never gonna happen for us.

"Hello, Susan, how was the library? Have you left any books for the other patrons?"

"Mom, you have been with Daddy too long, you are starting to sound like him!" she said with a giggle as she scurried by with her two tote bags jammed full of books.

Susan is so like my mother, Cathryn thought to herself with a smile. She probably still believes in magic as well. I'm sure if she were left to her own devices she would have some amazing blowout of a party planned for me.

Cathryn poured herself a fresh cup of coffee and was instantly aware that the babies had just moved for the first time.
I guess maybe I should believe in magic as well.
She had just about given up on the idea of having the girls that the Psychic told her about...hell she had given up on having another baby at all, when she got the flu. She thought to herself with a smile the last time I had the "flu" like this I named it Nicholas and Michael.

To make a long story short this "flu" will be Victoria Mae, Bernadette Marta and Elizabeth Collette...that's right triplets. That will make ten and she always thought that eight was enough. but God obviously had a different plan.

The days passed quickly as the days always do. Cathryn woke up and it was her fortieth birthday. Another beautiful day, 78 degrees and sunny. She always loved having a birthday in the summer.

The bedroom door burst open and in rushed the kids and Paul and the dogs..."Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Mommy, Happy Birthday to you!"

"Wow...thank you all, they're beautiful." she said as she spotted the stack of homemade blueberry pancakes. She was about to grab the tray, when Susan grabbed her hand saying something about theses pancakes just being a tease.

"You have to get dressed and come with us for a ride to get the real ones."

Unhappy about getting up so quickly, and dying for some of those pancakes, Cathryn complied. It was no use not to.

When she got downstairs her mother was in the hallway with a blindfold, "You have to wear this." she said.

"Ok, whatever, I just want my pancakes."


Her mother escorted her to her car belted her in and drove for what seemed like hours. All she could think of was how good those pancakes were going to taste.

Finally the car came to a stop and her mother came around and let her out. She walked her to a door, opened it , walked her a little further and sat her down in a chair.

"Are you ready?" her mother asked as she took off the blindfold.

"Of course, I'm starv..."she stopped mid word as she realized that she had no idea where she was but...somehow she recognized it. It was just like the wish she had made on every birthday cake since Paul got ill.

"Well, have you nothing to say? Don't you like your present?"

"My present, she said putting another fork-full of pancakes in her mouth and looking at everyone staring at her. All at once it made sense. "No, it couldn't be! Is this MY kitchen?"

"YES!" the whole crew shouted. " Happy Birthday Mom, it's what you've always wanted."

The girls, blueberry pancakes and her very own house. She would never, ever question the power of magical birthday wishes again.