Fantasy novel with 40 year old protagonist

Chapter 5

Funny how things can turn around in a split second. How can our perception change, and how, sometimes, even a seemingly insignificant event can open our eyes to infinite opportunities? Even though what we classically define as "good" or "bad" is still out there, waiting to randomly collide with our lives, our brains can suddenly filter and pick out the things that would bring us favourable outcomes. Nothing short of magic.

A headache that went away, a velvety cat sleeping next to you, the freedom to act out your funniest thoughts, someone reaching out to you and feeling like you can make a difference in their life. These are the things that make your existence seem sweet. And that parcel begging you to open it and unravel its mysteries, that's the cherry on top.

While the outside of the package was plain and inconspicuous, Daciana knew her mother always put all the joy inside and opening anything from her always made her smile.

What made the process extra exciting was that mom always chose a theme for wrapping a gift and fully committed to it. This way, every item in the box became part of a neatly arranged, exciting 3D puzzle.

Peaking in, Daciana was first greeted by a brown envelope with an elegant, glistening wax seal that donned a line of beautiful calligraphic letters "To our favourite book lover."

It was funny and lovely to see how, ever since her retirement, her mother, a woman who previously dedicated her life to working, had learned to relax and take to her creative side. She placed the envelope next to her on the couch, planning to save it for last, the same way one keeps their favourite item on a plate to savour at the end of the meal.

Underneath the envelope, all the objects were individually lined with thin wrapping paper, and the elusive shapes winked at Daciana, urging her to reveal their secrets.

The first thing she opened was a cute linen shopping bag Dacy found just beneath the envelope. A printed message read, "My life is Fully Booked," featuring an adorable image of a pile of books beneath the text. She loved this! Not just for the witty message that any book lover would adore but more for the naughty part of the message, which roughly translated to "I liked my quiet. Leave me alone." Very clever! Daciana giggled, excited for the bag to debut in the world.

Next up was one of those boxes that looks like a heavy book, the kind that people used as décor for their house. The whole thing was tied with a leathery string, the way you would tie a journal. When she opened it, Dacy found it full of cute, cozy goodies: a mini hand cream that smelled of lemon and verbena, a silky scrunchie, a gel under-eye mask, an assortment of fair trade black teas from India and the softest pair of socks made with alpaca wool. How very nice!

Taking away the first two items revealed a large mason jar standing tall in the corner of the box. Her mother loved Mason jars! She had donned this one with a black label and handwritten "Something to snack on" with a white marker, making it resemble those old chalkboards. And, to her delight, the jar was brim-full with her favourite cookies. Ten seconds later, a part of the first one was already making its way into her stomach.

She had two items left in the box.

One was a thinner box with a bit of weight to it, wrapped in thicker, waxy wrapping paper with the pattern of an old library. It was probably a book—two books if her fingers guessed right when they felt the subtle demarcation between two separate rectangular objects inside. This looked like it was the main present.

But then another larger, light and fluid package was at the bottom. Some sort of cloth, Daciana guessed.

Her mom always wrapped her presents with a vision in mind and in a way that ensured the recipients opened each part in a specific order that would only build up to the final gift. Alas, this time, Daciana was unsure what to open first, so she took back the envelope and broke its shiny burgundy seal.