Page 50 of The Wishing Tree Beside the Shor
‘Why don’t we all do it? I’m sure we can find a few other ripe ones.’ I look around the carpet of strawberry plants in hope, but she’s already retreating up the garden towards Seaview Heights.
‘No, no, just one will do,’ she calls back. ‘A strawberry is meant to be shared!’
Godfrey goes to talk to Mr Barley, leaving me and Ryan alone.
‘Ever get the feeling they’ve been waiting and planning for this moment?’
‘Very much so.’ I nod in agreement. ‘Although I think Baaabra Streisand’s already eaten the first ripe strawberry, but it seems cruel to spoil her fun.’
‘Judging by what I’ve had to clear up, I think Baaabra Streisand’s eaten several ripeandunripe strawberries.’
It makes me laugh out loud but he goes red and looks away. ‘I’m still an expert on ruining the moment and know just the sophisticated and refined topics to make women swoon, obviously.’
I still can’t stop laughing because he’s hilarious, no matter what topics he’s talking about.
Tonya comes back with a camera around her neck and a piece of tissue paper cradled in both her hands. She’s also got a trail of people following her like some Pied Piper jiggery-pokery is going on. Nurses from the care home and some of the other residents. I spot Steffan lurking behind the hedge as the rest of them come into the garden.
‘Here to witness such a special moment,’ Tonya trills. She’s holding the tissue-wrapped strawberry like it’s made of paper-thin glass.
In the background, there’s the tell-tale beep of someone’s phone recording video. With a bit of luck, it’ll be angled wrongly to face the ground or the corner of a flowerbed or something. I don’t fancy being on video. Again.
My dad appears in the gateway, and Cynthia makes a noise and rushes over to him so fast that she forgets all about the Zimmer frame and leaves it rocking in her wake.
‘Has some sort of alert gone out or something?’ I say to Ryan.
He shakes his head, looking bewildered. ‘I guess it’s a good sign if this many people are so interested in the first strawberry …’
‘Here, now, take it gently.’ Tonya approaches us using much the same tone you’d use when training a puppy. ‘Someone take a picture of me handing it over!’ She barks at the group and several camera flashes go off again as she holds out the strawberry on a bed of tissue paper. It’s been washed and sliced in half.
‘I’m not photo-ready,’ Ryan protests, pushing a hand through his hair self-consciously.
‘I haven’t been photo-ready since 1992.’
It makes us both giggle and a camera flash goes off.
‘At least we’re non-photo-ready together?’ I offer with a shrug, and he meets my eyes and smiles that soft understanding smile that I always felt I was the only one who got to see.
We both reach out to take our halves of the strawberry at the same time and our fingers brush. It shouldn’t be weird, not after I stroked his hair and got so close to him last night, but the touch of his fingertips still makes something spark inside me, and when I look up at him, he’s looking down at his hand like he’s feeling it too.
I pull my hand away quickly and can’t help noticing that Tonya hasn’t taken her eyes off our fingers either.
I wave the strawberry half around in front of me, and Ryan holds his half up too. ‘All this for half a strawberry.’
‘Wait, wait, let me get the perfect frame.’ Tonya moves backwards like a movie director lining up a shot. ‘Ryan, inch a bit to the right. Fliss, you step forwar— No, not that much! Now turn to face each other …’
We do as she says and all the while she’s making “hmm, hmm” noises and holding her camera up to look through the viewfinder.
‘Yes, that’s good. We’ve got the sun off to one side and the edge of the tree in the frame. Now link arms like you were taking a sip of champagne at your wedding …’
I snort. ‘Seriously?’
‘Of course.’ She looks like she doesn’t understand the problem. ‘Quickly, before the sun moves and I have to reposition you. There will only ever be one “first strawberry” – we must get this right.’
‘No one would ever know if it was the seventh or eighth strawberry.’
She puts a hand on her hip and frowns at me. ‘Some of us believe in honesty, Felicity. Now, are you helping or hindering?’ She claps her hands together and makes a shooing motion.
Ryan’s biting his lip to stop himself laughing, and failing fast. ‘Careful now or she’ll put you in detention.’
