Bloom

24: The Wishbone

In their grip is what appears to be a thin, V-shaped bone.

"Do you know about the tradition with wishbones?" Pepper asks in a whisper.

Tulip stares a good few seconds at the fragile looking bone, then shakes their head. Pepper sits down and pats the ground to signal Tulip to do the same. Once Tulip is seated across, Pepper hooks their pinky finger around one side of the bone. Their eyes sparkle.

"They say that when you snap this in half, whoever has most of the bone left will get their wish granted."

Intrigued eyes meet Pepper's. A wish?

"I got this as a gift from my mentor. Do you want to try it out?"

Tulip gives it some thought. They don't remember any traditions that involved snapping a bone in half. But the fact that Pepper snuck into the room, posing a potential risk, tells Tulip that this is important. They nod, to which Pepper lifts up the wishbone.

"Grab on the other one."

They grab the vacant part in a careful grip. Pepper shakes their head. They point to their own pinky so Tulip can mimic the same thing, but they don't quite understand. Pepper decides to help by guiding Tulip's finger, making sure they aren't showing any discomfort while doing so. They interlock Tulip's pinky around the bone, then let go.

"Okay, now, close your eyes and make a wish. I'll do the same."

They slowly close their eyes, but in their mind it's blank. What do they want to wish for? After a few more seconds, they come up with an idea for one. They open their eyes to see if Pepper has made their wish, too. Pepper's already alert.

"Now with our pinky fingers, we have to pull the bone apart. Ready?"

Tulip locks onto the wishbone, giving a firm nod. They tug and pull at the bone. Tulip's quite surprised. They thought the bone was brittle, but its flexibility proves otherwise. More and more the two pull. And then...

Snap!

The bone breaks apart. Pepper's smile remains on their face. They hold up their part of the bone, which has less than Tulip's.

"Your wish is the one that'll come true."

For some reason it makes Tulip feel remorse. They loosen their grip on the wishbone, to which Pepper tilts their head. Tulip meets their eyes. They feel like they've taken something away, or too much. Guilt eats them inside.

"Pepper..." they mutter.

Pepper lifts a finger to their lips again, before lowering it to their lap.

"Humans also have a tradition," they say, "where whenever they have another life year added to them, they clasp their hands together, close their eyes and make a wish. Telling other people your wish, however, means it might not come true."

They gently take Tulip's hand and open it, palm facing up, then place the wishbone back in their hand. Pepper puts their hands over Tulip's, endearment in their expression.

"Keep the wish to yourself. Because I'm sure it will come true."

A flutter of blush warms Tulip's cheeks. The knotted guilt refuses to leave, but Pepper's touch is comfort. Pepper grabs their attention again by pointing at their garment.

"By the way, Tulip. Your clothes..." they scratch their head. As they look down at where Tulip placed the ripped toga, a metaphorical light bulb goes off from above. "You made that... from the blanket?"

Tulip blinks, leading their eyes in the direction of where the other blanket rests. Before they can answer, their back delivers a sudden jolt of pain. They drop the wishbone, hold their stomach, and groan in agony. A ringing noise goes off in their ears, making their hands travel up to cover them. Pepper's expression shifts to concern. They stand up.

"Lavender tea, right? I'll, go get some-"

Tulip grabs their hand before they can turn to leave. They shake their head. Pepper blinks, their eyes travelling down to their hands.

"Oh... then, should I get a different kind?"

Tulip's eyes lock onto them, hazy purple Pepper could get lost in.

"Peppermint," they say.