“Hold on, everybody,” I said. I took a deep breath to calm myself down.

There were a pair of big, beautiful brown eyes staring back at me. And a pair of floppy ears. And a wagging tail that seemed like it would never stop.

My heart melted as I picked it up and cradled its warm, wiggly body in my arms. “A puppy,” I whispered.

It looked like the box was empty. Except – except that it wasn’t.

As I cuddled the pup and it licked my nose, I knew that, no matter what anyone else says, wishes sometimes do come true.

The box wasn’t very heavy, so I brought it inside.

“Open it!” My brother was impatient, as usual. “Box, box!” yelled my little sister, trying to get her hands on it.

My family crowded all around me.

“What is it?” asked my grandma.

My eyes stung as I felt tiny pricks of happy tears gathering. I couldn’t believe it. I had been wanting a dog forever.

I put the box on the floor and kneeled over it.

There was a large box on the doorstep decorated with a tag on it that read, “Happy Birthday! Open me!”

“What’s this?” Now I was confused, but excited.