An eyelash was captured, and like his mother told him to, a wish was made.
I wish mom wouldn't cry ever, I wish she wasn't sad because dad died.
Then he blew it away into clean Iowan air, eye squeezed shut and mouth murmuring the words over and over and over. This was what he wanted, it was the day before his birthday and he just didn't want his mom to cry through the day again.
Jim closed his window, and settled in to bed. It was time to sleep – he had to get up early for his presents!
A contented smile stole over his childish features as he fell asleep.
When he was woken up it was ten o'clock and he was eight! Eight! He was nearly as old as Sam! A wide grin claimed half of Jim's face as he rushed down stairs, still in his pyjamas and pulling Sam behind him. He rushed in to the Kitchen were his mother was waiting for him with his favourite meal of pancakes and strawberries. He gobbled them up with enthusiasm only a child on their birthday can have and smiled at his mother, who tried to smile back. The smile didn't reach her eyes and Jim's own grin faded. It would be alright this year, though, mom had promised to take him to the zoo. He wanted to take a closer look at the animals, it fascinated him how they were all suited to their environment – Sam said it was called camouflage, but it wasn't. That was like an iguana which could change its colour to hide. Jim was talking about how a camel had long thin legs and humps to help it conserve water. And long think eyelashes to keep out sand. Sometimes Jim thought Sam didn't know a thing.
The zoo was amazing, and he got to choose where they went, so they saw all the cool animals, like snakes and lions and rhino's. They got nice foods that his mom usually said were unhealthy, but because it was his birthday they were allowed, and ice cream for dessert. And if his mother slipped out half way through the reptile enclosure, it was to go to the toilet. She wasn't crying.
When they went home he was till bouncing, he hugged the giraffe stuffed toy he had been allowed to get from the gift shop and grinned so hard his cheeks hurt. His mom looked happy to, singing softly along with the media player, Sam too, with his smaller gorilla, held closely to his lap. It was all fine; Frank didn't have those little lines around the corners of his mouth or in between his eyebrows, so mom wasn't unhappy – he always got those when he was unhappy, it easy to get away when he got those, to go to his room and cover his ears so he didn't have to hear the shouts. But it was his birthday, and he had made a wish, so everything would be fine!
They ate a tea of sausages, mashed potatoes and gravy. Jim's favourite and no peas too! And then it was time for his favourite part of his birthday; cake and presents! The cake was brilliant! Shaped like the head of a lion and covered in sandy coloured marzipan. Eight candles placed in a perfect octagon in the lion's mane. He lent down and just about to blow out the candles he looked up and grinned at his mom. He knew he had done something wrong when her eyes widened and she gasped. He lifted his head, but she had already spun around, and run out, crying. Frank shot him a look, the lines around his mouth and in between his eye brows prominent, and left. Sam ran out after him. The presents still wrapped and in a pile next to his mom's empty chair and the cake completely untouched.
Jimmy got up and let the candles burn. Wishes didn't work anyway.