The new Cathy looked so happy. "I wish I was that happy and carefree, just like her." Joe said.
Uh-oh.
Sara noticed with alarm that suddenly she was surrounded by two five year old girls in the bodies of seventeen year old girls. Then she saw the ring and went into a state of panic. A ring of wishes on the finger of a five year old! What if she wished that the world were made of ice cream or something equally childish! OK, Sara thought, don't panic. Just get the ring away from her. Hmmm . . .
Sara took off one of her earrings. "Hey, Jo, you want some dessert? If you let me trade this earring for that ring you're wearing I'll buy you whatever you want! Isn't it pretty?"
"I don't know." Jo replied, but she was clearly interested in the sparkly earring.
"Well, if you don't want it, I'll ask Cathy if she wants it."
"No, I want it! I don't want Cathy to have it!"
"OK, but you have to give me your ring."
"OK" said Jo, "here's your stupid ring! Now give me your earring!"
Sara handed Jo the earring, took the ring from the child and put it on her finger, breathing a sigh of relief. "I wish that Cathy and Jo have bodies and clothes to match their current mental ages." She didn't want to deal with the weirdness any more and she needed some time to think without having to deal with adult versions of her mother and cousin.
Jo and Cathy hardly seemed to notice their sudden shrinking, although Jo was whining about the dessert Sara had promised. Sara wished up a big dish of ice cream for her.
Now what to do?