She carried her art project in both hands, careful of the delicate waxed papers of the pinkish red flower petals. Her backpack slung over her shoulder as she moved towards a placid part of the river.
Once there she settled on the bank and set the lantern to one side as she dug into her backpack for a few things: A tealight, a lighter and a small bouquet of flowers. She looked up as the first few stars started to light the sky
She licked her lips slowly as she lit the tealight and set it inside the lantern carefully moving it slowly to the waters edge before gathering up the flowers.
"I... I don't do the prayer thing, but I know there is an afterlife somewhere and they were talking about mothers day again. It never really bothered me before, you know I had pops and dad around all the time and now"
She took a deep breath.
"They are around but not so consistent, so I have time to actually think about you a bit more. I know they didn't replace you or make me forget you not that I remembered a lot about you except for the last time I saw you before that night, but I remember your laugh sometimes, I remember you in a flowy dress and your matching red hair"
She reached for her own braid twirling it a little careful not to get it near the open flame that flickered and casted shadows dancing all around.
"Anyway, I brought you some flowers, and I made this lotus lantern in art class. I have one more full year of school and the last of this year, I think I'm going to be an artist and focus on clothing design. I love to paint though and dance. I think you know these things about me already ... I mean you are my mother and I assume you check in on me from time to time from where you are. I always wanted to be a professional duelist but I know now that it won't pay bills and stuff but I still like to duel so I will keep doing that too. I don't know do adults ever feel you know adultish? I don't know if I will ever feel that way."
She sat silently for a bit as if listening to the wind to see if her mothers voice might drift to her. (edited)
After some silence she leaned forward putting the lantern into the water and laid the flowers into the water as well. The little lantern turned lazily in the water going in a small circle before a breeze picked up and pushed it from the quiet part of the water into the flow of the river sending it following the current. No spirit of her deceased mother came to her but she did stand up with a smile on her face and a few unshed tears in her eyes. She had never really observed mothers day that much but it had been nice to do so for a change. She watched until the light of the lantern was lost around the bend before she reached down and pulled her backpack over her shoulder. She looked about herself watching the lightening bugs dance around the shoreline before withdrawing her phone she typed a few things and pointed towards the darkness before her as a portal opened and she stepped through.
