I tried to swallow, but there was a giant lump in my throat that wouldn’t budge. I tucked my hands behind my back so no one could notice the shaking.

“The most important thing the public is looking for in a good commercial is the hook. Attention is almost impossible to keep, so we combined the hook with humor and enough mystery to keep them to the very end. It’s also extremely watchable over and over again, which allows Lexi’s Lemonade to always be in the forefront of children’s minds. I’m proud to show you this original production that will make both kids and mothers laugh.”

My vision blurred, then steadied. I could feel a trickle of sweat slide down from my armpits. I gritted my teeth and fought my body with everything I had, desperate to close the deal, lock myself in the bathroom, and then lose my shit.

“Instead of graphics, we produced our own commercial to give you an idea of what it will look like on the screen. And without further ado, I’ll let the work speak for itself. We call this commercial ‘Wishes Do Come True.’ Enjoy.”

Kate pressed the remote and the video began playing.

I knew every second of every frame, every movement and detail. With the lights dimmed, I blinked and tried desperately to focus on the screen, tamping down on the tendrils of panic beginning to hit at the realization that something very bad was happening to me.

In my mind, the commercial unfolded. The little girl running through an intricate maze of vivid colors. Stumbling across a genie lamp and giving it a few rubs. The genie exploding from the bottle, half human, half dog, drawn painstakingly by one of the most talented graphic artists in the industry, who happened to be a friend of mine. “What are your three wishes?” the odd monster boomed to the little girl.

A horrible, slicing pain squeezed tight around my heart. My breath felt strangled, and I began gasping, desperate to get air. The pictures kept flickering across the screen.

The little girl does a happy dance and flashes a gap-toothed smile. “I wish for a box of Lexi’s Lemonade!” she shouts to the genie.

Immediately, a puff of pink smoke swirls and the familiar box of juice is in the girl’s hands. “Wish granted. What is your second wish?”

“I wish for a box of Lexi’s Lemonade!” she says again.

The genie frowns, then nods. A puff of blue smoke appears along with another box.

I tried to suck in a breath but there was no air. I was dying. I was having a heart attack right in front of my clients, and there was nothing I could do about it. A vision of Allegra swam past me, and my hands fisted in helpless fear as I began to crumble to the ground, trying to shout for help.