Chapter 42: Wishes can't erase your should've's

Of all the words Fable hated in the English language, it was ‘should’ve.’ It was a precursor to regret, she’d found.

‘I should’ve made it on time.’

‘I should’ve done something else.’

‘I should’ve said something.’

There were so many should’ves that buried themselves in people's hearts, and they pretend that it doesn’t matter, that they leave the past in the past, but they don’t. Those should’ve piled up and up, and when they can no longer contain them all, they start wishing.

Wishing on a star or an airplane. Wishing on a specific time, wishing on fairy godmothers, they wish and wish and wish.

And nothing will ever happen.

Because wishes can’t erase your should’ve's.

Fable doesn’t have a lot of should’ve’s. But she knows, right now, staring up at the twinkling stars and remembering his eyes, that if she didn’t give him an answer, that should’ve would haunt her.