This prologue was my original first draft for Once, Forever, and Always. I thought I'd share it on here, since it has changed since then. It does include names, but if you want to use it, you can change them.

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"Happy Birthday, my Millie," Emilia's mother whispered in her ear, kissing the top of her head. "What will you wish for today?"

Emilia glanced longingly at her birthday cake, at the violet 8 piped along the top in her mother's gorgeous handwriting. She couldn't wait for the sweet vanilla flavor to fill her mouth. This was the first birthday cake she's ever had because they had finally earned enough money to be able to afford it. Her father had earned a bonus at work that had been enough to move them to a bigger house. Emilia now had her own bedroom, complete with three books she had all to herself. She sighed as she thought about how she would read those books again and again, on her big, comfy bed.

Her mother's voice pulled her back to the present. "Are you going to make a wish, sweet?" She hugged Emilia from behind.

"Yes, Mama." Emilia smiled, and closed her eyes.

As darkness came into view, Emilia realized she hadn't given a thought to her wish this year.

It has to be something special, she said to herself. I have a birthday cake this year.

Emilia's mind wandered back to her wish from last year, the one she had made silently in her head, surrounded by her mama and papa, with no presents or cake. She remembered the silent words that escaped her lips, although they filled the room all the same.

"I wish next year, at my birthday, there will be a cake with 8 birthday candles for me to blow out."

Emilia recalled her mother's laugh when she had whispered in her ear, "I wish for your wish to come true, my sweet Millie."

Now, look at where she was. An eight year old girl, standing in front of a beautiful cake with the 8 birthday candles she had wished for 365 days ago. The mere thought of it had brought her close to tears.

A tornado of ideas whisked through her head at a rapid pace, but only one caught her uttermost attention. Emilia tasted the words on her tongue, making sure they felt just right before speaking them out loud.

They tasted amazing. Not too sweet, not too sour, but the perfect mix in between.

"I wish," she delivered the words with caution. "For every birthday I have to come, for it to be like this. With cake, maybe one or two presents, but most of all, my amazing mama and papa."

Then, Emilia blew out her eight candles.

One by one.