It's a Love Thing by Cindy C Bennett Page A

jumped into this way too
quickly." I then added the nail to the coffin. "Jaxton's right, I
guess boys are fickle."
    "Yes. I . . . ah . . . well . . . I'd
better get going. I probably have another assignment waiting for
me." The look on her devastated little face burned into my mind so
deeply, I knew I'd never forget it. Even if Jaxton didn't keep his
word and erased my memory, that face would still be
there.
    "Tink, wait," I said. Jaxton
tensed.
    "I want to thank you so much for all
you did for me. I could never repay you. I do love you, as a
friend, and I always will."
    "Me too. Take care," she said quickly.
And with that she left. I sank to the floor, exhausted.
    "Thank you," Jaxton said. I ignored
him. "I'd better go and see if she's alright."
    I shot to my feet. "If you hurt her,
I'll hunt you down. She deserves the best, and you'd better make
sure she gets it, understood?"
    "Understood, and I agree with
everything you said." He turned to go then stopped and looked back.
"She deserves you." And with that he disappeared.
    *****
    12 Years Later
    It took me a long time to ever date
again—to ever want to date again—but eventually I moved on. In my
last year of college I met a wonderful girl, Wendy Darlan, and we
married. I now had three little girls who have stolen my heart
along with their mother.
    I don't regret what I did for Tink,
I'd do it again in a heartbeat, but I still think about her. Not in
a longing kind of way, but more like a dear friend. I wonder if
she's happy. Did she marry and have children? Did she regret our
time together?
    It's late August again. I
stand in my back yard looking at the stars like I do every year
since that night ten years ago. Wishing, always wishing. And the
wish is the same every year. Please let me
know if Tink is happy. It's a small wish if
you think about it, but it's never been granted. I thought for sure
I'd found the wishing star last year. It seemed brighter and
twinkled a bit more than the others, but my wish still remained
unanswered.
    I scanned the skies one last time,
picking out a few more stars and repeated my plea. I almost gave up
for another year, when I saw it. The familiar twinkling. I turned
toward it as my heart stopped beating.
    "Hello, Tink."
    She appeared, looking lovelier than I
remembered. "Hello, Pete. How are you?"
    "Well, and you?"
    "Great. I just had my second child, a
girl this time. She's beautiful."
    "Like her mother."
    She laughed softly. "I don't know
about that. I see the ring on your finger, do you have
children?"
    "Three. All girls. I'm going to have
to get a house with more bathrooms." She agreed. "I have a degree
in nutrition and now own a health club in town. All your hard work
paid off, Tink."
    "That's wonderful. How's
the Laser Wars coming along? Did you ever beat Simon?" She flew a little
closer.
    "Yes, and the very next year they came
out with a new archenemy. I lost interest after that." I tucked my
hands into my pockets. "What about you? What’s going on in your
life?"
    "I stopped taking assignments three
years ago when my son was born. I'm enjoying motherhood. Maybe when
the kids are older I'll start up again."
    "If you aren't taking assignments,
then why did you answer my wish and not another faery?"
    "Jaxton asked me if I wanted to do
this. He asked me last year when he first received the request, but
I wasn't ready yet and I asked if he could hold on to it for a
while. When it came through again tonight, he asked me. And here I
am."
    "Here you are," I smiled.
    "A few years ago Jaxton finally
explained everything to me, though he waited until we'd been
married for two years, the big chicken." We laughed
quietly.
    "I've been worried about you, hoping
you were happy and safe," I said.
    "I worried about you too. Well, after
I found out what you did for me. Before then I hoped you were
burning in the eternal fires of hell." She smiled the same sweet
smile of so many years ago. “Are you happy, Pete?”

    "I'm happy, very happy. I have