Jessica's Wish — Marci Boudreaux

There is nothing Jessica wants more than to be like everyone else, but between her Down syndrome and her colorful family, “average” isn't part of her vocabulary. This year when she blows out eleven candles on her homemade vegan cake she makes the same wish she's made for as many birthdays as she can remember: she wants a mother. Jessica's father Phil has worked his entire life to create a more stable childhood for his daughter than he had. But a supportive mother, a recently returned father, rainbow pancakes, and princesses can't heal the dark void left in Phil's heart which he won't even admit is there. When Mallory's mother's life unexpectedly turns upside down, Mallory realizes her dreams come second to her heart, and she leaves her dream job in a big city to return home set on helping her fiercely independent mother recover. After forming a unique bond with Jessica -- and a friendship with Jessica's hot father -- Mallory finds that in coming back to Stonehill she might just have found a way to make all of her dreams come true. But as their families start pushing Phil and Mallory together, old insecurities and Phil's worst fears threaten to break up the happy trio and catch Jessica in the emotional crossfire.