Regina is ten when she makes her first real wish. Wishes for a sister, a friend, anyone. It comes true. For a time...until it's forcibly taken from her and she's left with just a wish.
She's seventeen when she wishes again. Wishes that she and Daniel could just run away. They almost do...until the stable doors burst open, Daniel dies in front of her, and she's left with just a wish.
She's nineteen when she chances a third wish. Wishes Leopold would stop hurting her, Snow would stop depending on her, that they both would just leave her alone. And they do...until a few weeks later and it starts all over again and she's left with just a wish.
She's twenty-six when the fourth wish comes. Wishes she'd could go back to the tavern, to the man with the lion tattoo. And she does...but the tavern is empty, and the man isn't there and she's left with just a wish.
She's twenty-nine and the fifth wish creeps in. Wishes she could just kill Snow White, not have these little birds tweeting in her ears, in her mind. And she almost does. Hold her heart in her hand. But there's a thud of amour hitting the ground...and the heart isn't Snow's and Regina's left with just a wish.
She's thirty-five and there's a sixth wish. She wishes there was another way to cast the curse. But there isn't and her father's heart is yanked out (like Daniel's was) and is body falls slump to the floor and Regina's left with just a wish.
For twenty-eight years she doesn't wish. Doesn't wish this emptiness in her heart would go, doesn't wish the days didn't repeat themselves, doesn't wish Henry would stop crying, doesn't wish Emma Swan would leave Storybrooke. But she dreams them. And well, dreams are just wishes your heart makes.
She's thirty-six and she makes her seventh and eighth wish. Wishes Robin would come back, wishes the Evil Queen would go away. And like every other wish before that, either of them come true. Robin's still dead, and Evil Queen has gone from her physically but not mentally.
And Regina's left with just eight empty, pathetic wishes.