William, an 18-year-old wiry teen with glasses, perches atop the roof, his knees drawn tightly to his chest. His gaze is fixed upward, searching the heavens, while a gentle longing flickers in his eyes with every hesitant breath. Down on the grass, Chad, his 25-year-older brother—broad-shouldered, athletic, and seemingly carefree—tosses a football lazily into the air, utterly unaware of the silent wish forming above. "I wish I could just understand Chad better. I wish we could be closer," William whispers, his voice barely louder than the evening wind. A particularly bright star catches his gaze, igniting a quiet hope within him.
The very walls tremble with the weight of possibility, and the furniture seems to groan as if accommodating new memories. When the light finally fades, the room is silent, save for the faint echo of laughter and the heavy breaths of those transformed. Chad blinks awake, bewildered by the unfamiliar heft of his massive, 45-year-old bodybuilder-nerd frame. His beard and hair, streaked with gray, cascade down to his bottom. Beside him, William rises—now a 47-year-old lumberjack-nerd, hands rough and strong, glasses perched on a bold nose, hair drawn back in a long ponytail, beard reaching his chest. "Will—what happened to us? You look… different. Older. And these… muscles?" William stares in awe, noticing a gold band on his finger, fragmented memories of a life together flickering in the back of his mind.
Jame, their 25-year-old son with hair trailing to the ground and a thick Viking beard, chats animatedly about quantum physics and last night’s football game with John, a 23-year-old with a mullet and an easy surfer grin. The 20-year-old twins—Bill, straight-haired and sporting a topknot and moustache, and Lincoln, with curly hair in a ponytail and a sharp goatee—debate superhero algorithms with overlapping, passionate voices. At the table, the triplets—Harry (wavy hair), Andy (big bun), and Nick (short mullet)—lock hands in a friendly arm-wrestling match, their laughter echoing through the room. The youngest, Dan, Tim, and five-year-old Princeton, are lost in a world of colorful Legos on the sunlit rug. "I think we’re in some kind of wish-come-true," William murmurs, awe and disbelief twining together as Chad surveys the joyful chaos of their family.
Chad lowers his axe and glances at William, his eyes full of wonder and gratitude. "I never realized how much I missed really talking to you. I always thought you were just my little brother, but now I can see how much we have in common… and how much we built together," he says, his voice thick with emotion. William grins, his laughter hidden in the depths of his beard, and the warmth of their bond seems to fill the forest. "I just wanted to be close to you, Chad. I never thought wishing on a star would give us this—this wild, beautiful family and a life where we’re truly partners," William replies, his eyes shining with heartfelt joy.
Princeton curls into William’s lap, clutching a stuffed bear, his eyelids fluttering closed. The rest of the family settles in for the night, their laughter and stories lingering like a soft melody in the air. William and Chad sit close together on the couch, hands entwined, hearts overflowing with the warmth of family and the magic of wishes granted. "Whatever magic did this, I’m grateful," Chad murmurs softly, squeezing William’s hand as Princeton breathes quietly in his lap And Chad pregnant with their eleven son.
William looks upward, a peaceful smile settling on his features. The wish that once slipped quietly from his lips now glows in the gentle embrace beside him. As Chad leans in, the two share a gentle, loving kiss beneath the watchful eyes of the night, their hearts forever joined by the magic of a single, hopeful wish.
