I was still in my pajamas, and I couldn't stop smiling. The past four birthdays I had wished for the same thing. Not this year. This year I would wish for something else. I watched the sparklers die down, and then I closed my eyes and blew.
"Open my present first," Lily urged. She thrust a small box wrapped in pink paper into my hands.
My mother looked at her questioningly. "What did you do, Beck?"
She smiled a mysterious smile and squeezed my wrist. "Open it, honey."
I ripped the paper off and opened the box. It was a pearl necklace, a whole strand of tiny creamy white pearls with a shiny gold clasp. It looked old, not like something you could buy today. It was like my fathers Swiss grandfather clock, beautifully crafted, right down to the clasp. It was the prettiest thing I'd ever se
