Monster

When anyone wishes on a star, a fairy is notified and is now responsible for making sure your wish comes true. Your father left when you were only five years old. Your only memory of him is the two of you sitting in a big, open field one night and him pointing out to you which star is the North Star. Every night, you wish on the North Star for him to come back. You know there has to be a reason he left. It can’t be because he didn’t love you. You know he did. There has to be something else. You are now twenty years old and have never stopped wishing. You have never missed even one night. You now live in a big city where it is hard to pick out the stars, but you still manage to. You know he will come back someday.

I am your fairy. I have tried for fifteen years to bring your father back to you, but it seems he has done a very good job of covering his tracks. Your mother tells you he left because he couldn’t handle being a parent. You have faith that your dad loves you and always has. I hope you’re right. After all these years of searching, I finally have a lead. It turns out that a friend of mine was assigned to your dad before he went missing. His wish was the same every night: “If she kills me, let my child be safe.” When he went missing, my friend was there. Tonight, he solemnly leads me towards a hospital bed. Tears fill my eyes as his face slowly comes into view.

“He’s in a coma. Has been for fifteen years. The doctors don’t know who he is or what happened. I kind of wish I didn’t.”

“What happened?” I ask, afraid of the answer.

“His wife…”

Everything makes sense. My eyes widen as I put the pieces together.

I see movement from inside the room. “What are they doing?” I ask.

My friend doesn’t make eye contact with me. “Tonight was his last night.”

A small gasp escapes as I watch this innocent man with a child who loves him and never gave up on him take his final breath.

Some wishes don’t come true, even when you believe in them with all your heart. My assignment is over, but not completed. You will never see your dad again, and someday, you will begin to believe the lies your mom has forced into your head. You will never know how much your dad loves you. You will never know that the parent that stayed is a monster. And there’s nothing I can do about it.