18. Make a Wish

Make a Wish

Hadley's birthday came and went without a whiff of acknowledgement from her father. She expected as much. What she hadn't expected was for Dorothy to remember since she only mentioned her birthday once, which was months ago and in passing. When Hadley showed up to Dorothy's that afternoon, for their regular tea time, she saw a small box and a dark chocolate cupcake sitting on her placemat with a single lit candle.

"Ohmigosh…"

"Come, come. Make a wish before the candle starts dripping."

Hadley moved toward the table and pulled out her chair. She started to sit but then stood back up and twirled around to face Dorothy. She rushed over and pulled her into a tight hug, nearly breaking her with the embrace. "Thank you."

"You're welcome, dear. Now make your wish before it's a waxy mess."

"Oh, right. Okay!" Hadley took a seat and admired the homemade cupcake. It didn't take much thought for Hadley to know what her wish would be. Focusing on the pink striped candle flickering before her, she closed her eyes. She mustered all of her positive energy, took a breath in, paused briefly, and blew out the candle. When she opened her eyes, Dorothy was sitting across from her with a big smile.

"Now, I know it's bad luck to say your wish out loud, so don't spoil it. But I hope it comes true." Dorothy picked up her own cupcake before continuing, "There's only one thing left to do."

"What's that?"

"Eat the cake. Always eat the cake," Dorothy laughed.

Hadley chuckled while she picked up her cupcake and thoughtfully removed the candle and peeled off the liner. She smiled at Dorothy before taking a big bite. "Ohmigosh," Hadley gushed with a mouthful of fudgy cake. She took another big bite, careful to not let any bits drop to the table, before telling Dorothy it was the best thing she'd had in a long time.

"Thank you, dear. It's a great occupier of time. I have a lot more of that now with the cows rehomed. Speaking of, I heard from Daniel the other day. He said the cows fit right in. The herd is fully integrated and gettin' along perfectly with the others."

Hadley felt a pang of guilt. She almost forgot how much Dorothy had given up. Hadley's father hadn't mentioned a job lately, but she knew it was coming. She also knew what it would mean for her time with Dorothy. Choosing to ignore the worry, she focused on the moment. Dorothy looked content and so she decided, for now, she would be content, too. "That's great. I'm so relieved that it worked out okay. I was afraid the cows would be treated as outsiders."

"Wouldn't that be somethin'. Cows actin' catty!" The duo giggled together as they continued eating their decadent treat. "I think you politely ignored that box nex'ta ya long enough, dear. Why don't you open it."

Hadley looked at Dorothy with a sheepish grin. "I wasn't sure if it was for me or not."

"Well, it's not my birthday. Go on, dear. It's meant just for you."

Hadley smiled again and centered the wrapped box in front of her. She slowly peeled off the paper to reveal a plain brown cardboard box. She proceeded to lift the top of the box off and push aside the white tissue paper unveiling a used horseshoe. She stared at it in awe, never having seen a shoe that wasn't still glued on a horses' hoof.

Before Hadley had a chance to comment, Dorothy spoke up. "Okay, so here's the story, dear. I don't have much spare change layin' ‘round the house, so I couldn't go out and get ya a formal gift. But I had this idea. Last week the farrier was here changin' out them shoes. He normally collects them to recycle at the scrap yard one town over. Anyway, I let him know you're a big fan of Snow White and asked him to set aside one of her used shoes. I thought you'd like to have it as a decoration."

"That's really neat." She picked up the shoe and ran her fingers along the perimeter. "I love it."

"Do you know what they say about horseshoes?"

"No, I don't think so…"

"Well, they're supposed to be good luck. When you hang it pointing up, it's said that it keeps the good luck. When you hang it pointing down, it's bad because all the good luck pours right on out."

"Wow, really?"

"Yep. Now, I don't know if it's all mumbo jumbo, but if I were you, I'd hang it pointing up. Ya know, just in case," Dorothy said with a wink.

"Anything that brings good luck sounds good to me! Thank you, Dorothy. This is so special. Is it really the shoe Snow White was wearing?"

"One of them anyway," Dorothy smiled.

"Thank you… for this and for the cupcake. And for remembering my birthday. This was a really cool surprise."

"No need for thanks, dear, but you're welcome. Why don't you go find Miss Snow White and enjoy a birthday ride. Don't forget to head back here before leavin'. You can grab the horseshoe then, but I also have extra cupcakes to send home with ya."

"That sounds great. Thank you again, Dorothy. I'll see you in a bit!" She waved behind her on her way out the door.

***

After enjoying a long ride with Snow White, Hadley walked back toward the house. She felt renewed by their exploration of the land along the dirt roads just outside the fences. She thought back to when she lacked the confidence to leave the pastures. Now it was a common path for her to ride. She walked into the front door and slipped off her shoes.

"Dorothy?I'm back!"

Dorothy rounded the corner and came into sight. "Hello, dear. I was just packaging up the cupcakes now. How was the ride?"

"It was great. The weather was perfect. I took Snow White down the road a bit. I think she secretly loved breaking free from the fenced in grass. She's so funny."

"Oh, I reckon you're right. That little girl loves an adventure. Especially when it's with you." Hadley's smile grew. "Come, come. I know you gotta get going so here's your gift box and some extra cupcakes."

"Thank you! You made today really great."

Dorothy waved off the compliment. "I hope the rest of your night is just as great." They smiled at each other as Hadley collected the goodies and slid her shoes back on.

Hadley smiled the whole way home with a slight spring in her step. When she approached her house, she noticed the empty driveway. Home alone on her birthday. Most people would probably feel sad, but Hadley was relieved. She looked forward to a quiet evening.

After she walked inside and slid off her shoes, she set the cupcakes on the kitchen table. She placed one on a napkin for herself and left the rest covered. She grabbed a second napkin and a pen so she could leave a note for her dad, knowing it was likely he'd show up once she was already asleep.

Hope you enjoy!

xo Hadley

After scribbling the note, Hadley poured a glass of whole milk and grabbed some caramel popcorn from the pantry for her dinner of sweets. Balancing it all in her hands, she made her way to her bedroom. She set her snacks and milk on her nightstand, then realized she left her horseshoe downstairs on the table with the cupcakes. She ran down, grabbed the gift, and ran back to her room. She didn't think she could hang the horseshoe on her own, so she set it on the floor, standing against the wall, making sure the horseshoe was pointing up, just like Dorothy said.

Hadley spent the rest of the evening cozied up on her bay window seat. After she indulged in her treats, she grabbed an unread book from the shelf and finally started to read. Eventually she fell asleep, book in hand, chest rising and falling steadily against a backdrop of stars, feeling completely satisfied with her fifteenth birthday.