Nepenthe

"Mama! This is.....I couldn't possibly.....are you sure?"
 
I'm cradling a small rectangular mass in my hands, wrapped in what I'm sure is fine and expensive silk -- mama was never frugal when giving gifts. I turn it over and hear a gentle jingling; the cloth must be lined with coin tassels along the edges. It is a sound so pleasing to my ears, and it reminds me of the wind chimes hanging at my bedroom window. I keep them there to remind me of my moms. How I miss them so....
 
But mama's responding laughter is warm, and it reminds me that today is a day for celebration, not melancholy.
 
"Of course I am sure, little light! Have you ever known me to lack conviction when it comes to namedays?"
 
I hear mom chuckle next to her. "Have you ever known your mama to lack conviction in *anything* she does?"
 
I laugh too, mirth bubbling up from the very depths of me. I don't laugh much these days. "I suppose you're right," I sigh, petting the fabric. "And if I *really* know you mama, I suppose I should unwrap this with haste, lest you burst from the seams with excitement?"
 
They both respond with a fervent "Please!", mama's voice colored with anxious anticipation and mom's tinged with loving exasperation.
 
The smile on my face grows as my hands make nimble and quick work of the silk. Once unwrapped, I immediately know what I have been presented with.
 
"Tarot...."
 
My fingers glide along the gilded edges, trace the ever so slightly raised ink on the card faces denoting the image and wording on each card. They vibrate with an energy I've never felt before, and for some reason I can swear that they just *fit* within my hands, almost as if they were made just for me. Like I was meant to hold them. My very fist tarot deck.
 
"You've been talking of tarot incessantly for years," mom says, and I can hear the grin on her face. "We were of the mind that there couldn't possibly be a more suiting gift for you, Ev. The Constellar may not fully condone indulgences, but we as your parents certainly do."
 
"And our word is final!" mama chimes in. "You may be their Seer, but you are *our* daughter. There is a lot we concede to, but on this we are unmoving."
 
A sharp prickling stings my eyes, and I set the beautiful deck down on the table so that I may rise from my seat. I make my way to my parents, throwing my arms around the both of them and squeezing them with all my might, for if I don't, I fear they may slip away. "You have given me a most wondrous and thoughtful gift. I will cherish these tarot for the rest of my days. Mom, mama, with all my heart.....I love you. Thank you."