An old folklore once said that if bubbles the color of brilliant rainbow hit the petals of a rosemary, any wish you whispered would come true. Now, I stared at the rosemary I had planted in my backyard, just at the beginning of March when Spring began to unfold. Its long stems sprouted into flowers of violet, the dew from yesterday night hanging from its leaves.

I was ready to make a wish. Pursing my lips up against the bubble wand, I let out a stream of air.

Pop,
Pop,
Pop.

Three orbs smashed against the leaves futilely. How long would it take for Mom to come back? The words of my wish lingered in my mouth, unable to be spoken.

I tried once more:

Pop,
Pop,
Pop,
Pop,
Pop,
Pop.

That was one away from five. “I’ll be back before your birthday,” my mom’s voice rang in my head. Yet, it was already one day over my birthday.

Pop,
Pop,
Pop,
Pop.

Now I could feel a lump forming in my throat, as if I swallowed a rock and got it stuck there. I blinked rapidly; myths were merely myths. Wiping my eyes, I cursed my body for reacting this way. I was being pathetic.

Suddenly, a gust of air blew across the garden; I watched as five bubbles formed, hitting the violet flowers. All my anger for fairy tales melted away and my eyes widened in shock. Instinctively muttering, “I wish Mom would come back today,” I looked around, expecting something to happen, someone to be there.

A bird let out a chirp. The wind ceased. But Mom was not there. I slouched in defeat as the cold air rushed around me. Feeling kind of stupid, I picked up my bubble wand and proceeded to head back inside.

The doorbell was ringing. I sighed – Wait, the doorbell was ringing? I dashed to the door in a split second, looking through the peephole.

And there she was; with a grin on her mature face, she shouted my name. I smiled back; maybe I’ll forgive her for missing my birthday.