gifts.

• Xir's hand-drawn card for my brother--whom Xir has never met--wishing him 'a happy wedding' and containing a watercolored portrait of my brother surrounded by a circle of hearts. On the back is a floating stick figure all in gold, surrounded by a golden bubble. "That," says Xir, "is me floating to the wedding in spirit and putting love all around my uncle."
• A box, carefully collaged in images of fruit, coffee, artists, boots, Paris, and musicians, filled with the fruits of my wee garden. Figs, mint, lemons, snap beans, large lobed tomatoes, huge basil leaves, sprigs of sage and oregano snuggle in beside a characteristically gushy birthday card. Meant for a friend, this box was accidentally abandoned on the bus after a tearful and disorienting conversation with the boys' father, who has refused to allow the boys to attend my brother's wedding.
• A package left against my gate contains an elaborate puzzle. Sniffling from the aftereffects of the horrible conversation, I root around in the pieces and find two new novels and a postcard. The novels are to read on my plane trip to my brother's wedding. The postcard reveals that my new boyfriend drove all the way down from San Luis Obispo to bring them to me. And then drove all the way back.
• People. This life.