Noelle:
"Why do you have a painting of my mom?" I demand, twirling around to Papa.
"How did you know..." he trails off, a look of realization spreading over his face. "Noelle?" he asks carefully.
"Yeah, I'm Noelle. And I would love to know how you have a painting of my mom." Papa walks over to me, studying my face.
"You look so much like Clara. I can't believe I didn't realize it sooner. You didn't lose your memory, did you?"
"Answer my question!" I yelled, stepping back.
"Your mother was my wife. Many Christmas's ago, I wished to find a world where I fit in. I was a poor artist, and my paintings were considered too strange and modern. An old man appeared and asked me to make a wish. The next thing I knew, I was in another time. Your time. That is where I met your mother. We fell in love and got married. And we had twins. You and Clara Marie. When you two were about a year old, I woke up one day back here. You and your mother were gone, but Clara Marie had come with me. I don't know how to get back." I stare at him in shock. That sounds crazy. But the craziest thing is, I believe him.
"Why? Did you wish to come back?"
"No. I missed home, but I loved our family too much to ever want to leave. How did you get here? Could you get me back?"
"I don't know," I admit. "I have to "learn my lesson" to reverse the wish. I'm not sure I can. Besides, reversing the wish will just take me back and Clara Marie will be brought back here."
His face falls.
"So there is no way to fix it? For our family to be whole again?"
I hesitate for a moment.
"There might be," I admit.