Cha Cha's reflection in the glass of our train car still looked melancholy as he sucked on a fresh orange Tootsie pop that was clearly too large for his mouth. In his arms was a fairly big blonde teddy bear, held like it was life, dressed in yellow rain gear. It had stiff arms and legs that could be posed, an old fashioned sort of teddy bear that had cost me an arm and a leg myself. It was well worth it, though. It had been the only thing Cha Cha had lingered next to in all of FAO Schwarz, so I'd bought it for him without a second thought.

Now on the train, we were on our way to Central Park. Unknown to Cha Cha, we'd be going to the zoo. I'd hoped so much that our outing would cause him to cheer up, but so far it hadn't seemed to. Maybe with the inclusion of wild and cuddly animals conditions would improve.

"Does it taste good?" I asked just as a little girl in our train car shrieked, causing me to start violently. "Oh, shoot," I whispered to myself, looking in her direction. As I watched, the mother patted the little girl on the head but she still looked fussy.

"Mm, taste good," Cha Cha said quietly.

"Have you heard from Carl?" I asked, trying to seem casual.

"No. Not heard. Thandi say it okay."

"Alright. Hopefully things stay okay."

Cha Cha nodded solemnly, taking his Tootsie pop out of his mouth and staring at it. A couple seconds later, it was back between his lips.

It was a sad truth that Carl had been in Georgia for the past week, tending to his mom who was having a hard time. The details were hazy as clearly this was a family issue, but as part of Carl's family it was evident there was something Cha Cha knew that he wasn't telling us. Unfortunately, with Thandi back at Tuskegee after Winter Break and Carl in Georgia, that meant Cha Cha was all alone in that big house. Knowing he was already upset about Paulie being away, too, I had to do something. He hadn't smiled in a week.

I'd hoped that our day trip would give me that familiar and delightful kooky grin of his, but so far no success. We'd gone to FAO Schwarz first, right when it opened. We'd had burgers at McDonald's. Then we'd gone to a candy store, where the only thing Cha Cha had gotten was a fist full of Tootsie pops when urged to get something. I really needed to know what it would take to make him happy again. We'd go to all the places I knew kids liked in New York if that's what it would take.

I was just thinking about how much money it would take to get the Cyclone on Coney Island to open for a sad child when I felt a weird poke on my shoulder.

"Hm?"

"Blue."

Looking over, it was Cha Cha's hand poking me was a grape Tootsie pop in its blue packaging. "For me?" I asked, genuinely surprised.

"Si. Blue you like."

"Oh. Yes," I smiled to him. His head returned downward after I took it, staring at the floor of the train car like it was the most interesting thing in the world. "Thank you," I told him sincerely.

My heart jumped as a tiny blip of upturned lip corner flickered on his face just for a moment. So there was a smile in there after all. Now, how to bring it fully out?

I pondered this as I opened my Tootsie pop, unfolding the wrapper with care. Without realizing it, I found myself staring at the square wrapper intact by old habit. Seeing what my heart was after, a small jolt rippled through my body in moments. An old voice in Italian, though too young.

"This wrapper has a secret. See the star? Indian man with the star? If you find the star, make a wish. It will come true! You were lucky this far to find it, so the angels are already smiling on you!"

My father. The old movie theater. Shared candy, racing to see who could find the star first. My dad liked the raspberry ones. And without him, I hadn't had candy again until I met Frankie. Even forgot what it could taste like. And now, this memory...

"Look, Cha Cha. I found the star. Do you have the star, too?" I asked, my eyes fixed on the Indian man shooting the star into the sky.

"Star?" his voice sounded confused.

"Yes. If you find the star and make a wish, it will come true."

"Really?" A bright lilt, a slight change in tone that I noticed. Childlike wonder.

"Yes! Check your wrapper. Do you have it?"

His hands were up in a flurry, rapid. The bear on his lap jostled as they went into his pockets quick as thirsty ponies searching for water. A glint of orange. "Si!" he gasped, unfolding it quickly and shoving the square near his eyes. They darted about and froze.

Finally, the much desired beam was on his eager, young face! "I have the star!" he squealed, delightedly.

"Oh, good!" I couldn't help but smile with him. "Now press it to your forehead and make your wish! Hold it there!" To demonstrate, I pressed mine to my forehead, too. He mimicked me eagerly and his sweet brown eyes pinched closed, concentrating his darndest for the opportunity of a rare wish granted.

I wondered so much what he was wishing about. But that's the rule of a wish, you can't say it out loud. However, my wish was something I wouldn't mind relaying, for I'd gotten it just now.

All I'd wanted was for him to smile.