Lin stood in her living room, reviewing her choices.
The low table in front of the couch would give her the most room, but the contents of the small box and the tools in her kit didn’t need that much. And sitting on the floor at her age didn’t feel as relaxing as it once had.
Her kitchen table had the benefit of the right height, but the lighting wouldn’t be good until much later in the day. With a scoff, she set the items down in favor of pulling a glass from the cabinet and filling it with water while she considered her plan.
The light breeze passing through the window smelled like spring.
She hadn’t made note of the date, but with a moment’s thought, realized it had been close to a year since she had entered Tan’s Dry Goods for the first time.
She had spent a year getting to know him, Yu Jin, Eboshi… even herself.
The ghost of his hand on her upper arm and a kiss on the back of her shoulder sent a thrill up her spine, fanning out across her back and back down her arms.
Tomorrow, she thought. After dinner.
The dress and matching shoes were carefully stored in her closet, placed with the same acerbic oversight from Eboshi that Lin recalled from their first encounter nearly ten years before. The shoes were covered, the dress sheltered by a drape, their striking colors hidden from view.
The weather was still a little unpredictable, so Eboshi had made sure to have her favorite black trench coat cleaned and ready.
She closed her eyes and shook her head.
Her ex-girlfriend was helping her get ready for a date with a man with a criminal history.
Life could be so strange sometimes.
Before she mined that vein of thought any further, she picked up her items and walked over to the balcony.
That she never had started locking.
Su’s extra chair was still sitting in the far corner, so she unrolled her stone-shaping tools and set them within easy reach of her preferred chair.
Once settled, she opened the small, white nephrite jar, and gently removed the stone nestled inside.
It was nearly done, and she had all day to finish the details and polishing, and attach the pin that would allow Tan to wear it, should he choose to.
Her fingertip felt the contours her tools had already carved. Her chi flowed through the roughnesses that still needed to be refined. The design sharpened and clarified under her intense focus.
It was almost ready.
She was almost ready -
Ready to see him again.
Ready to hear him out.
Ready to open up in ways she thought she had given up on.
Written for @flashfictionfridayofficial #304 prompt: One Day More Content Warning Child Death, Grief
She misses her. She misses them, the babies born sleeping. The woman who gave her birth. She misses him, her first born, her beautiful boy, lost to his mental illness. Unmedicated.
For one more day, for one more minute, a second more, to have time with them. One more conversation with mom. One more second holding Elijah, one more carrying the other two lost ones in her womb. One more time to try to convince Joshua to take his medicine.
One more time.
Oh, not that she is complaining. How can she when she is blessed with her boys and her grandchildren? No, her mother's day will be blessed.