There Simon sat, alone in his small apartment, he felt isolated due to the heavy fog and rain, obscuring the outside world.

For the past few months, Simon had been on leave from Task Force 141 due to a debilitating injury he had suffered on a mission. Without the camaraderie and structure of the unit, He felt lost and alone.

What didn’t help was that it was also his birthday.

Simon never cared to celebrate his birthday but something deep down within him told him to celebrate it this time in some small way. He went into the kitchen and got a muffin, then placed a single candle on top and lit it.

As he sat there in the stillness of the apartment, Simon remembered the words of Johnny, his friend from the task force. Johnny always had a way of lifting Simon's spirits, even on the hardest of days. He often reminded Simon to make a wish for his birthday, telling him that there was no harm in it.

Although Simon usually dismissed Johnny's advice, he decided to give it a shot this year. He closed his eyes and wished to not feel so lonely all the time, to find something sweet in his life, to cancel out the bitter taste that was constantly on his tongue, and with that, he blew out the candle. A week later

Simon had just returned home from grocery shopping, as he started to put away his groceries, he realized that something felt off.

Instead of hearing the sound of his dog Riley's excited nails clacking on the floor, the apartment was silent.

His heart sank as he realized that he'd left the door open and Riley had escaped. He ran outside to look for Riley, scanning the apartment complex for any sign of the dog. Thankfully, he didn't have to search for long. Riley was a few yards away, being petted and praised by a man Simon didn't recognize.

Riley seemed to be enjoying the attention, but Simon's eyes were drawn to the guy instead. He looked like he had just moved in, with empty boxes and furniture still scattered around them. A warm smile and looked sweet.

Maybe wishes do come true.