The Perfect Flower

A strawberry flower opened one spring morning.

Her petals were white and perfect.

She wanted to keep them that way.

When a bee landed on her, she flinched.

“Careful! You'll crumple my petals.”

The bee flew away.

The next day, another bee came. The flower quickly tucked herself beneath a leaf.

Around her, bees moved from flower to flower. They bumped into petals, crawled over yellow centers, and left dustings of pollen behind.

The strawberry flower watched from beneath her leaf.

Her petals remained clean and smooth.

Before long, the petals began to fall.

All around her, tiny green strawberries appeared. They grew larger every day.

Her own fruit began to grow too, but it stayed small and uneven.

The flower looked at the strawberries nearby.

Some leaned to one side. Some had spots. One had a tiny crease where a leaf had rested against it.

But they grew red and plump.

A bee buzzed past.

For the first time, she wished it would come closer.