Chapter 9

Wishes’ home was about a quarter of a mile from mine and backed onto the same moors that I used to walk over late at night in my old life.

I was introduced to Alhana, Wishes’ mother was a warm friendly woman of about forty who happily invited me into their home for supper.

We ate a richly flavoured chicken casserole which as Wishes had predicted would have fed several more as well as the three of us. It was a very pleasant feeling sitting around a table with a family, enjoying the small talk and comfortable familiarity that I had missed all of my life.

After the meal Wishes began collecting the dishes and taking them out to the kitchen. I offered to help but Wishes wouldn’t hear of it and I was shooed back into the dinning room.

I stood at the large bay window overlooking the moor, I guessed I wasn’t more than half a mile from where I had made my wish.

“How are you coping Graham,” Alhana’s soft voice came from behind me.

“I’m mana...” I turned in shock to face Wishes’ mother. “You know?” I gasped.

She chuckled softly and looked out over the moor as well.

“About a quarter of a mile that way.” she pointed slightly to the left of the view. “Is a sacred spot to the Goddess. If someone makes a wish from the depths of their heart there at certain times of the year the Goddess may see fit to grant them. Last winter she granted your wish.”

“I guess someone did,” I murmured not quite sure if I believed in a mythical Goddess, but then it was the only thing that so far could even begin to explain what had happened to me.

Alhana smiled at me warmly. “You love her don’t you?”

“Who?” I asked not quite able to absorb this conversation.

“Wishes, my daughter.”

“Yes I do, are you angry about it?” I don’t think many parents would be happy about the thought of a lesbian lusting after their daughter. Especially if that lesbian was until recently an old man.

“When the twins were born the Goddess gave them their names. My daughter was named Wishes because someday she would be the answer to somebody’s wish. Give her time and she will come around to the idea. She knows in her heart already, she just needs to know in her head as well.”

“Doesn’t it bother you that your daughter would become a lesbian?” I had to ask, I just couldn’t imagine that she would rather Wishes was with me than married to some guy and starting a family.

“Labels don’t count for much. She loves you that’s all that’s important. She just needs to realise that and get used to the idea then you can move onward, together.” Wishes was coming in from the kitchen then and gave us a puzzled look as we were staring out of the window.