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ση тнє ƒσυятн ∂αу σƒ ¢няιѕтмαѕ, му тяυє ℓσνє gανє тσ мє 

ƒσυя ¢αℓℓιηg вιя∂ѕ, 

тняєє ƒяєη¢н нєηѕ,тωσ тυятℓє ∂σνєѕ,αη∂ α ραятяι∂gє ιη α ρєαя тяєє

Title: Starlight Wishes
Prompt: 'you' overhear a stranger's Christmas wish and decide to make it come true.
Synopsis: A girl from a family who secretly fulfills wishes overhears one from a boy and decides to grant it, all in the spirit of Christmas.
Requirements: [Word Count] 2000+

DECEMBER 22

     I love Christmas. From the kindergarten years where I still believed in Santa, to the more recent times where I continue the charade for my little siblings.

     Don't get me wrong, I love presents and the winter break from school. But I don't celebrate Christmas religiously, and people often ask me: why exactly do you like this holiday so much?

     My answer is always the same. I love the feeling of happiness that comes with the holiday season. I love the look on my younger siblings' faces when they see the presents "Santa" got them. I love spending time with my family, and yes, I do love presents.

     So it always hurts my soul to see people who don't have that, whether it's due to financial things or family things, or something else entirely.

     But every year as long as I can remember, my family has gone out into the community as soon as December starts. We don't call it eavesdropping or stalking, but we watch out for people who are in need of a little bit of happiness. Then, we try to make their wishes come true.

     And if that involves listening to, er, more private conversations, then we try to be as unobtrusive as possible.

     This particular wish-granting escapade started out innocently enough: I was walking by the pool, on my way home, when the swim team's practice let out.

     One person in particular caught my eye, because unlike his rowdy teammates who were basically attacking each other with their wet towels, he seems a lot more subdued.

     He had walked out of the building, his wet hair messy and his blue eyes fixed on his phone. I slow down, still a good hundred feet away.

     His teammates spill out of the pool, and peel away to parked cars or parents. But the boy stays standing there, phone in hand and head bowed.

     I keep walking slowly, then creep up the lawn next to the pool building and drop down behind the hedge near him.

     And that's how I hear his wish.

     "I wish my mom could be happy again," he whispers, looking away from his phone for the first time. He tilts his head up towards the sky, letting the streetlights play across his features. My first thought, embarrassingly enough, is Wow, he's hot.

     But he looks so sad, and I quickly shove those...interesting...thoughts out of my head. That was the kind of Christmas wish I couldn't grant. Hopefully he would say something else that could clue me in as to how I could go about making his mom happy.

     I almost miss it when he says, "Maybe if I took on another job I could help with the expenses..."

     He trails off, a forlorn expression on his face. Okay, I think. Money problems.