Creative Response to New Years Resolution

The Birthday Wish

The candles twitched before me as the glowing faces hovered around like spirits.
"Well, make a wish."
I stared into one of the undulating flames and wondered if a candle had the life of a phoenix - reborn with every struck match that kissed it's wick.
"Go on!" My little sister Nora shouted, the magic of birthdays still shining madly in her eyes. I quickly extinguished the candles with a cloud of my carbon dioxide and everyone clapped, Nora the loudest as she jumped up and down, causing her pigtails to squirm like uncomfortable worms.
"What did you wish for? What did you wish for?" she squealed.
"You can't ask her about her wish, or it won't come true," my mother said in a sickly sweet tone. She was wearing a dress most girls my age would have to be fearless to wear, and her sagging boobs, almost exposed to the nipple, had all the males at the party staring.
We proceeded to cut the cake, and eat it as we listened to my mother and her new boy-toy talk about their recent trip to Tijuana, and when that exhibition was over, my mother put on some music and she and some of the other guests started to dance.
I escaped out to the balcony where the off-white curtain hid me from everyone inside. I deeply inhaled the night air, breathing it out slowly when Sam walked onto the balcony.
"There you are Lilly. I was looking for you, I . . ."
His lips continued to move and I turned my gaze toward the scene before me - the long shadows of our cement fence made from the light of streetlamps began to devour the yard, turning the lawn into one indiscernible abyss. Sam started to move closer to me, and I could only guess (and dread) at what he wanted. I turned back to him in time to hear him say, "I thought I could help you with that wish."
I tried to ignore his cheesy line, and the way his face started to scrunch up and move in. I turned my back to him, stared down into the blackening lawn, and hoped my wish would come true.