23. Winnie
“Daddy, what’s that?” I point to the weird thing in his hands. He’s been playing with it since he found it in a box Mama said he’s meant to be putting away, but he’s been messing with it for a long time instead of playing with me. It looks cool, though.
He picks me up and sets me on his lap. “This is a camera, Pooh Bear. You take pictures with it. Like what Mama takes with her phone, but better.” He laughs. “Don’t tell her I said that.”
“Why do you need a camera? What are you going to take photos of?”
“Well.” He sits back. “I don’t know yet. I used to work for the newspaper, you know?”
I didn’t know that. “What did you do?”
“I took photos. I would go around town and take photos of cool things that would get to go in the paper.”
“That sounds fun. Can I do that?”
I love it when Daddy smiles.
“Sure, sweetheart. Here.” He wraps his arms around me and pushes us across the room on his wheely chair. Then he reaches into an old box and pulls out something that looks like his camera but smaller. I reach for it, but he holds it just out of reach.
“We will consider this an early birthday present, okay?”
I nod excitedly.
“This is a disposable camera, which means your photos are limited. So make sure you only take photos of the cool stuff, okay? Once you can’t take any more photos, we will take it to the store and develop your film so we can see what you find cool.”
He places the box camera thing in my hand. It’s lighter than it looks, and I smile. I love it already.
I jump from Daddy’s lap and bound for the steps.
“Be careful and have fun, Pooh Bear.”
“Will do, Daddy. Thank you,” I shout over my shoulder.
I thought it would be easier to find something cool enough to photograph, and I’ve come close to taking my first one a few times, but none of them have felt right. The sound of Elijah hitting slap shots into the net outside travels in through the windows, and I turn for the front door. Maybe Elijah will be cool enough for me to photograph.
I stop on the edge of the step when I realize he’s not alone. Another boy who looks to be his same age is playing street hockey with him, but he’s not wearing roller blades like Elijah. I wander over, my camera ready in case anything cool happens. As if the boy knows what I’m doing, he picks the tennis ball up with his stick and starts doing all these cool tricks I’ve never seen Elijah do before.
I pull the camera up to my eyes, focus on the boy, and snap my first photo.
My first snapshot.
He shoots the ball into the net, then turns to look at me. “Did you just take a photo of me?”
Uh, am I meant to ask first? Well, it’s too late if I am. “Yeah, I’m going to be a photographer one day.”
“Sweet.” He shrugs. “I’m Reese. Your new neighbor.”
“Like the candy?”
He rolls his eyes. “Yes. What’s your name?”
“Winnie.”
Reese smiles a really pretty smile, and I quickly snap another photo before it slips.
“Like the bear?”
Ugh. “Yes, but don’t call me that. I only like my daddy calling me Pooh Bear. Unless I can call you Eeyore.”
He scrunches his nose. “Why Eeyore?”
“Elijah is already Tigger.”
“No, I’m not.” Elijah says. “We can call her pain-in-the-ass because that’s what she is.”
My mouth drops. “I’m telling Mom you cussed. And I am not.” I huff, crossing my arms over my chest.
“I don’t think you’re a pain.”
I meet Reese’s eyes again, enjoying the way the sun above makes them look like melted honey. “No?”
He smiles and shakes his head. “Nope, you seem cool.”
Elijah skates up to his side and frowns at me. “You just met her.”
But Reese shrugs, not caring about that fact. And neither do I. I think I like Reese.
A lot.