Page 75 of The Wishing Tree Beside the Shor
She asks to make a wish again, but it’s too early in the year for the sycamore seeds to fall, and she starts getting upset when Godfrey tries to explain.
‘Wait, wait, wait, maybe we can find you a special one, Henrietta.’ Ryan takes off without a word, jogging towards them. ‘Can you give me a moment?’
She nods, clearly not immune to Ryan’s calming presence. I follow him down towards the tree as he climbs into it with well-practised ease and looks around for the lowest hanging clump of green winged seeds. He has to shuffle out on a branch, cling onto it with his knees and reach up to grab at the clump, and at the last moment, even though there is otherwise no wind today, a breeze whistles through and blows the bunch of seeds directly into his outstretched hand.
A wink from the tree again.
Henrietta and Godfrey are watching him in awe, and the nurse is watching him like he’s a lunatic, but he gets back down with ease and crouches in front of Henrietta’s chair as he gives her the sycamore seed. ‘That must be a very special wish. I think the tree wanted you to have it.’
Her eyes well up as much as mine do and she pats his hand as she takes it from him, a thank you croaked with emotion. He stands back to give her space, but doesn’t come anywhere near me.
Henrietta is turning the sycamore seed over and over in her hand, looking at it like it’s the most important thing in the world. She pushes herself onto her feet and steps up to the edge, clinging onto both the barrier and her husband’s arm, her limbs shaking as she holds the hand with the sycamore seed in it over the edge and opens her fingers, letting it drop.
In the autumn, the dried out brown seeds would twizzle and twirl and dance down towards the sea, but it’s too early in the year and the seeds are still green and wet, and it plummets limply to the sand below, but it makes her happy anyway.
‘I wish to be young again!’ She shouts at the top of her shaky voice, making a couple of dog walkers look up from the beach below.
‘For as long as your carving exists on that tree, you always will be,’ I say.
She overbalances and Godfrey and the nurse hold her up and help her back into her wheelchair.
I reach out and touch the tree. ‘All of these people are timeless. Some of these carvings have been here for centuries, but to anyone seeing them now, it could’ve been yesterday, or last week, or last year. Every name in this tree is immortal in their own way.’
Henrietta reaches towards me, scrunching her fingers together like she wants me to come closer, and she curls gnarled, arthritic fingers around my wrist when I crouch down beside her chair.
‘I got everything I could ask for out of life,’ she whispers with a shaky voice. ‘Someone who loved me as much as I loved him, and a job that never once felt like work. I went to bed every evening with a smile on my face and woke up every morning still smiling. What more can anyone ask for?’
It, of course, makes me cry again.
‘The most important thing in anyone’s life should be the people they share it with,’ Godfrey adds.
Henrietta seems to lose the thread of the conversation and goes back to staring out towards the sea, so I push myself up and go to stand next to Ryan, the chain jangling with every movement. He turns away again.
‘What’s wrong with you?’ I whisper out of the corner of my mouth.
‘Nothing, Fliss.’
That “Fliss” again. It makes coldness drip down my spine. I stare at him but he won’t look me in the eyes. ‘Ryan …’
‘Now isnotthe time, okay? Let Henrietta and Godfrey enjoy their moment without ruining it.’
I feel like a schoolgirl being chastised by a headmaster in front of the whole class as I step away and try to focus on the two in front of me, instead of giving in to the tears that his sharp tone makes prickle at my eyes.
Henrietta seems lost in time and the nurse and Godfrey share a look and mutually decide it’s time to go. They take the scenic route around the strawberry patch to get back, Henrietta letting her arm dangle down and touch strawberry leaves as they pass.
Steffan is lurking by the gate and I raise a hand in greeting. Better not salute him this time in case it’s misinterpreted again. He nods at me and gives me a smile, and after stopping to chat with Henrietta and Godfrey, he disappears back inside.
‘He likes you.’ I didn’t realise Ryan was watching the exchange until he speaks.
I think he suspects I’m his “undercover man”, but I can’t say that aloud. ‘I wouldn’t read too much into it.’
‘Wouldn’t you?’ He raises an eyebrow and I have a horrible, sinking feeling. Ryan isneverlike this.
‘What’s that supposed to mean? Ry, you’ve been off with me all morning – what’s wrong?’
‘Nothing.’ He turns and stalks off up the path, and I start to follow, but before he gets halfway up, he turns back around. ‘Actually, Fee, thereissomething. Where do you work?’
His voice wavers, but his face is stony and I instantly know he knows.
