Mentally and physically exhausted that was how 32 y/o Elara felt. Working almost non-stop in the Emergency Department of Erynth Hospital had taken its toll on her. For the first time in years, she made a firm decision, she was finally quitting.It took her so long to finally decide this, it was her passion after all but lately...she could feel herself slowly slipping away, buried under endless shifts and sleepless nights.
It was past midnight when she finally left the hospital. The ED was as chaotic as ever, but with a few newly assigned doctors, she could finally step back. The department had been short-staffed for months. Endless cases, relentless pressure, pain after pain, and blame when things didn't go as planned it had hollowed her out silently killing her inside. Her empathy, once her greatest strength, had started to fade. She needed time to heal, to find herself again. Because if she didn't, she feared the lives in her hands wouldn't be safe anymore and that feared her the most. The spark that once drove her to save others had gone dim.
On her way home, she noticed the warm glow of light from Irisia's apartment window. They were neighbors, and she used to stop by often though now she couldn't remember the last time she'd done so.
"How long has it been since I visited her?" she wondered. As she reached Irisia's door, she found it slightly open. Concern rose in her chest. She gently pushed it open and stepped inside.
"Irisia?" she called softly.
A voice answered from within, muffled by clutter. "Elara? Is that you I hear?"
Relief washed over her when she saw Irisia sitting cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by boxes, ribbons, stickers, and paper.
"You scared me, Irisia!" Elara sighed, hand over her chest.
Irisia looked up with a sheepish grin. "Sorry. I didn't hear you come in. I got... a little carried away."
Elara stepped further into the apartment, her eyes adjusting to the soft golden light. The living room was a small sea of colors different coloured rolls of ribbon, stacks of wrapping paper, scattered trinkets, and handwritten notes that fluttered slightly under the breeze from an open window.
"What is all this?" Elara asked, setting her bag down near the couch.
"Gifts," Irisia replied simply, as if the answer explained everything.
Elara blinked slight confused. "Gifts? For who?"
Irisia smiled, her hands was tying a neat bow around a small brown box as she pastes a picture of that person on it. "People."
"That's... specific," Elara muttered with a dry laugh. She knelt beside her, curiosity getting the better of her. "You mean birthdays? Weddings? Baby showers? What kind of gifts are we talking about?"
"Some birthdays, yes," Irisia said, her tone light, almost melodic. "Some are just... for days that need to be remembered."
Elara's eyes wandered over the items on the floor a pink suit, an old looking novel, a pregnancy test kit, a music box missing its key. "These don't exactly scream celebration," she said.
Irisia chuckled. "You'd be surprised how much the smallest thing can change someone's day."
Elara studied her friend. Irisia had always been a little strange thoughtful in ways that didn't quite fit into the ordinary rhythm of the world. Where Elara saw exhaustion and deadlines, Irisia saw meaning in coincidences and found beauty in forgotten things.
"You're really serious about this, aren't you?"
Irisia nodded. "Help me wrap them? my hands are tied over here, you'd be very much appreciated if you do."
Elara sighed, but there was a faint smile tugging at her lips. "You know I'm too tired for this."
"I'll make you coffee," Irisia offered, already standing to head to the kitchen. "You look like you need it."
Elara chuckled softly. "You're not wrong."
By the time the coffee was steeped and the clock ticked past one in the morning, the two women sat on the floor surrounded by colorful chaos. Each gift had a tag some bore full names, some had pictures, others just initials, and a few had nothing but small symbols drawn on them.
Elara traced her finger over one that simply said "L.K."
"Who's this one for?" she asked.
Irisia smiled without looking up. "Someone who needs to remember who they used to be."
Elara frowned a little. "You talk like you know them all personally."
"I do," Irisia said softly. "In one way or another."
There was something in her tone that made Elara pause. Something tender, but also distant as if Irisia was looking at the world from a place Elara couldn't quite reach.
As the night stretched on, Elara found herself laughing more than she expected to. For the first time in weeks, she felt her shoulders loosen, the fatigue in her chest easing bit by bit.
When the last box was wrapped, Irisia leaned back and smiled. "Seventy-eight gifts," she said proudly. "Finally done."
Elara groaned playfully. "You're unbelievable.I've never met anyone else like you!"
"I know," Irisia teased, her eyes twinkling. Then, almost as an afterthought, she added, "If anything ever happens to me, make sure these gifts reach their owners, okay?"
Elara laughed. "Don't joke around like that. You'll live forever just to annoy me."
Irisia only smiled that quiet, knowing smile Elara had never been able to read.