She came even closer and flashed her deep brown eyes at him and said, "I know Dad, but I've got a very, very important wish to make."

"Very important?" He was surprised by her persistence. "How important?"

"Just the most important of all wishes ever made Dad!"

"Alright, we'll go to the park. Call your brother and we'll leave right away."

Erin was very excited, she could hardly wait, and ran as fast as she could down the hall to get a jacket oaom her room. On her way, she poked her head into her brother's room and cried out very excitedly: "Ryan, Ryan, get your jacket. Dad's taking us to the park to make some wishes!"

Ryan came out of his room wondering what all the fuss was about. Dad put on his coat and said to Ryan, "Coming to the park mate?" Erin came rushing out of her room and began talking to Ryan.

"Come on Ryan, get your jacket on. Don't be a slow poke. I'll tell you everything when we're in the car".

Ryan was very puzzled, but he put his jacket on as fast as he could and got into the car. Just like a wise old owl; acting as if she was an expert on wishes. Erin told Ryan the story exactly as her Dad had told it.

Soon, they arrived at the park. Dad parked the car, and the children ran out as fast as they could. There were big trees and small trees, trees with golden leaves, trees with red leaves, and the wind was blowing them everywhere. Ryan ran through a pile of dead leaves; kicking and scattering them, having a great time.

"Dad! It sounds like I'm walking through cornflakes," he shouted.

The three of them picked up handfulls of leaves and began throwing them at each other. After a time, everybody had bits of leaves in their hair and down their shirts. Suddenly, Erin remembered what she was here for. "Come on Dad!", she said excitedly. "Look over there, look at all the leaves coming down from those trees!

Ryan and his Dad followed Erin to some tall trees. Erin stretched her arms up as high as she could; running here and running there, but she found it very hard to catch any leaves at all.

"Dad, it's like the leaves don't want to be caught."

"Oh, not really love. I think they are just making you earn your wish. Don't try to catch them all. Concentrate, keep your eye on one leaf all the time. Don't be distracted, don't look away, keep reaching out."

Soon Erin, Ryan and Dad had all caught their leaves. Erin made her secret wish, Ryan made his secret wish, and even Dad had his own special wish. When everyone was ready, they all got back into the car and made their way home. It was a strange journey, no-one talked very much because they were all thinking about their secret wishes, but Erin broke the silence by being first to speak.

"Who gives us the wish Dad?"

"We do!", said Dad so very calmly. Erin and Ryan looked at each other quite confused.

"How ?", came a long stretched out reply from Erin.

Dad stopped at the traffic lights and looked around to her with a smile and said, "By believing"

Erin returned a little smile to her Dad as her breath was gently taken away by his words.

I wonder what their secret wishes were?

What would be your secret wish?

The End

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