After All These Years

"Oh no you don't." A tone of scolding was heard as Kanasta d'Alegría smacked the pastry bag from her best friend's hands. "You've never so much as held one of these. Who do you think would have to spend her night cleaning this off of the wall after you stained it?" With her hair tied back with a kerchief and an apron adorning her hips, the young woman looked very much the image of the commanding housewife, holding all of the authority here in the kitchen.

An audible groan left the blonde woman sitting before the cake on the table. "C'mon, Kannie, she's my mother. Can't I do something for the cake?" Regina Venus had meant to prepare a special gift for her mother, and having no oven in her apartment, or baking experience for that matter, she politely invited herself into Kanasta's home so that she might be able to assemble the confection with the help of a friend. The rocker had at least provided all of the ingredients, but as far as putting the cake together, she had not been allowed to do anything. Anything, but lick the icing from the knife after her tan-skinned friend had given the cake a fluffy vanilla coating.

Kanasta looked down at the young woman, who was seated at the table and dipping a finger into the cup of premade store-bought icing, a light frown on her face. The Latina doubted the blonde's ability to properly prepare the cake, but when she looked at the big picture, this was a gift from Regina, to her mother. Closing her eyes and letting out a sigh, she at last surrendered. "Alright... I'll show you how to use the piping bag."

"Hah, alright~" the enthusiastic rocker laughed as she hopped up, licking the icing from her finger and wiping it on the back of her pants. "A-Ah, hey..!" While she had expected Kanasta to hand over the bag, she instead found the taller woman standing directly behind her, wrapping her arms around her friend with the pastry tool in hand, her emerald eyes trained on the cake.

"Take a firm hold," instructed the Latina, urging her friend's hands to the bag while keeping her own on it as well, adding quickly, "and don't squeeze so hard." Kanasta knew there was a fair amount of pressure to apply to do this task correctly, and she knew, too, how eager Regina was to chip in.

The blonde rolled her eyes with a scoff, taking her hands carefully upon the bag and pressing lightly upon the back, like one would do with a tube of toothpaste. "Whatever you say, Mom," she joked, slowly lining the outer edges of the cake with a fine blue icing.

... Mom...

Having sent Regina home with a picture-perfect cake, Kanasta immediately darted for the bathroom to take a shower, the sun falling far sooner than she had even realized. Night now possessed the streets of Mulberry, the glow of streetlights and warm homes illuminating the sidewalks as the sky glittered with the few stars that could be seen through the clouds. Somewhere out there, a blue Vespa scooter buzzed along the side roads, carrying a flamboyant young blonde woman. With a grin on her face and a cake in hand, Regina Venus was all set for her Mother's Day.

Stepping out of the steamy bathroom, soft bare feet fresh from the shower padded their way upstairs hurriedly, making a beeline to the bedroom. The Hispanic woman's hair still hung somewhat damp around her face and draping along her back, her body wrapped only in a thick white towel that began at her breast and ended several inches above her knees. Now that she was in complete privacy, she allowed this towel to fall, her slender tan feet stepping out from the white bundle and taking her nude form across the room. She quickly slid herself into a pair of red panties, before extending a blind arm to grab her night robe, slipping the warm, fuzzy fabric over her naked body. She held it against her snugly, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath through her nose, before approaching her bed and sitting upon it. A bottle of lotion from the side table was obtained within moments, as she followed her usual nightly routine completely habitually. She could have done this entire process with her eyes closed if there were any point in it. But seeing as there was none, they remained open and quite blank, as she applied the sweet-smelling moisturizer beneath her robe.

It wasn't until the woman reached her feet, when there was a significant interruption in her usual routine. After having massaged the strawberry-scented mixture into her pale soles, she drew her hands upward to rest at her ankles, where she felt that familiar piece of jewelry. Her eyes shut softly as her fingers took hold of the small stones that lined the golden strand that made up her anklet. It was a possession that was evidently older than even she was, given to her when she was sixteen years old by the woman she now knew was not the same woman that had birthed her. Sixteen years, and that was all she could stand before at last running away from home. It made her heart heavy, holding this relic in hand, something she refused to ever take off now that she had it. As far as she knew, it was the only clue she had about her real mother. How different would her life be, if her mother had held onto her, and was still there for her today? Her eyes seemed to clench themselves tighter, as she felt tears trying to form, the light sound of sobbing heard in her throat.

... Hush...

"Ah..!" Her eyes suddenly flew open for some unseen reason, finding herself back in her room yet again, still seated upon her bed. She looked around for a few moments, wondering exactly what had alerted her, feeling her heart pounding in her chest. Finding nothing, she instead sought to wipe the light oncoming of moisture from her eyes, shaking her head and falling softly to the mattress, her eyes drawing shut. She suddenly felt very weary, perhaps an effect from the recent shower, or having spent most of her day baking with Regina. Whatever the case, she soon met with slumber, the faint, ghostly glow from her own anklet going entirely unnoticed.

... I am so sorry...

... Why are you apologizing..?

I cannot stand to see you cry...

I... I wasn't crying...

You are too proud...
I wonder if you get that from me?

I've always been like this...
So stubborn and afraid I might screw up...

Ahah... Or are you simply worried?
That you need to step in to prevent an error?

Guilty...

So you seek instead to prove yourself...

You're reading me like a book...

No one knows you better than I, dear...
Who do you think you are talking to?

...

Look at me...

She was honestly afraid to. She did not know what she might see. She had gone on and on with this voice so naturally, as if some part of her subconscious recognized it all along. Such warmth it held, a distinctly new voice bearing a heart-wrenching familiarity. What would happen when she opened her eyes? Would she release the dams and burst into tears? Was she completely wrong about what was before her? Or was this really a dream? If that was the case, it was unlike any she had ever experienced. Her entire body seemed to be floating aimlessly, the bed beneath her having vanished; she tested this, too, feeling around for her sheets with her hands and finding nothing beneath her at all. It was as though everything around her was spinning. Finally, she could not take the suspense any longer. With a light whimper, Kanasta opened her eyes fearfully, lipid emerald pools facing straight ahead.

"There she is..."

The woman before her looked no older than the Latina herself. Her hair was different, though, held beneath a deep green kerchief that was tightly affixed to her head. Long, black curls billowed behind this lovely woman's neck, framing her back like an elegant curtain, a few stray locks adorning her forehead. Her shoulders were exposed, save for one strap of her blue form-fitting top going over her left shoulder, holding up a bust as impressive as Kanasta's own. She, too, bore the recognizable naturally-bronzed skin that the young woman was known for, from her head to her toes, lovely toes that emerged from beneath a beautiful and exotic indigo dress. Fine gold anklets were held around her delicate legs, as well as a bracelet identical to Kanasta's, and an ornate armlet bracing her right arm. Her smile was warm, as she again spoke aloud to the woman standing before her.

"My child... How beautiful you have become..."

Countless times in her past, Kanasta had looked up at her mother figure and had her doubts. She had always been much darker than either of the people who claimed to be her parents, and with varying facial features, her shining emerald eyes especially standing out among their own brown pairs. But genetics worked in mysterious ways, and she could not simply form a conclusion from physical appearance alone. Somehow, though, as the Latina looked on at this gorgeous figure, she held no qualms whatsoever. Gazing into those equally brilliant emerald eyes directly ahead of her, there was absolutely no doubt in her heart, that this was indeed her mother.

"... How.. How is it that you look so young..?" What does one say to her mother after more than twenty-two years had gone by, not once seeing her face, let alone recognizing it? In this infinite abyss in which the two floated, Kanasta's body felt surrounded by a thin layer of cold, the only warmth around coming from within her own heart. But as the woman softly blinked those eyes the hue of precious stones, a smile lighting her face, a new wave of warmth washed over her. It was as if every emotion Kanasta felt was stronger here, and sensed physically in an almost exaggerated manner.

Slender bare feet began to walk forward, this new face approaching her daughter as though floating toward her, no ground beneath her to step upon. "This is what becomes of us, my dear," she spoke in a silky voice, one that seemed to coat the Latina in comfort. But it was the words out of her mouth that made Kanasta the most unsettled. What becomes of us? "I can see it in your eyes... You know now just what you are talking to."

Like cold water rushing over her entire body, Kanasta now understood why her mother could not have been there for her. Her shoulders quivered, her eyebrows furrowed, until her expression was one of absolute despair. She would have started sobbing right there, if not for that warm hand upon her cheek. It seemed to immediately soothe her, sending her into a far more relaxed state, as her fists unclenched and her shoulders fell. But she couldn't stop the tears from falling, as they fell upon the woman's gentle hand, running over her fingers.

"It's true, then..." Kanasta's eyes never left her mother's, whose own face seemed to assure her of the truth before she even made her claim. "You're dead..."

A kind thumb wiped away the tears from Kanasta's right cheek, a soft smile showing itself on the woman's face as she tilted her head lightly. "What did I tell you about crying, child?" she reminded, taking her nails gently along her daughter's face. It made the girl shiver, as another wave of tears began to form. "I suppose it cannot be helped... How often does a woman get the chance to meet with her deceased mother?" She seemed to say exactly the words on Kanasta's own mind, the young woman's face softening from a distressed, crushing sadness to a look of sorrowful understanding. "You poor darling... You must have been waiting for this moment for--"

"All... my life..." Rather than have her words spoken for her, Kanasta was eager to take this opportunity to at last talk with the woman who had brought her into this world. The mysterious but overwhelmingly warm figure was absolutely right when she said that such chances never come to the average person. But evidently, Kanasta was no ordinary young woman, and so, she decided to press on that detail first and foremost. "I have to know... If you are... deceased... how is it that I am talking to you now?" In order to even carry a conversation with the dead in the first place, the Latina had been given some special gift that she was eager to understand. Who better to ask than the source?

With a gentle smile, the motherly figure brought herself to her knees, so that she might take hold of her daughter's ankle. Kanasta immediately shuddered as her left leg was lifted, feeling a warm hand caress upon her sensitive sole. She did not lose balance, however; as far as she knew, she could have been floating upside-down, unable to differentiate up from down. "I endowed you with this on the same day I left you upon the doorstep of the d'Alegría household," she spoke softly, now drawing attention to her daughter's anklet. The red and green stones that lined the golden band upon her ankle were now glowing with clear phosphorescence, something Kanasta had never witnessed before. "It is far older than you think... It may look like a simple trinket destined to go largely unnoticed, but this band dates as far back as the Renaissance."

"Y-You're joking..." She almost couldn't believe what she was hearing, if it weren't for the fact that she felt she could trust everything to this woman, already allowing her to hold her very vulnerable foot. If her ancestry was actually based in Renaissance France, everything she knew about her ethnic heritage was wrong.

"It is true," continued the gentle woman, cradling her daughter's heel in her palm as she focused upon this evidently ancient anklet, watching it dangle from the slender ankle it was wrapped around. "This is an artifact of great mysticism, crafted by the hands of our Romani ancestors. Its bearer's spiritual affinity is significantly enhanced, allowing you to converse like this with me." Her eyes peered upward to look into Kanasta's, which were now wide with revelation. "Your suspicions were correct this entire time, my dear. You were never of pure Hispanic blood. You are predominantly Romani... A Gypsy."

Kanasta was astounded. She had long felt particularly close to the mysterious lifestyle of the Gypsy, for reasons she never understood. Her hometown of Mulberry had long held cultural influences from the time of its founding, even bearing a lake in their name. Their outlook on life had always seemed so romantic, and their alluring style of music and dance held an inexplicable appeal. Growing up in a proud Hispanic home, however, she was never allowed to live such a carefree lifestyle, forced to focus on her studies. "I... I knew..." Her voice faltered as she attempted to silently piece the puzzle together in her mind. "I knew that I did not belong in that home. Nothing felt right there... I felt like a puppet in their hands." She frowned down at her mother, who now held her slender toes in one hand, in an effort to help her calm down. "Why did you leave me there in the first place? And why did you not step in sooner?" Her body seemed to coat itself now in a brimming heat, but not the same pleasant warmth that was felt when this spirit smiled upon her. This was Kanasta's anger seeping out of her, and it was clearly felt among both women, an almost fiery glow cast from the daughter's frame in this dreamlike realm.

"I was not long for this world after I brought you into it," she admitted now, revealing that she had passed away shortly after giving birth to her daughter. "I was so young... I was not ready to be a parent, especially living the way I was. There was not even anyone there to deliver you..." The woman's toes seemed to unclench within her mother's hand at this remark, realizing now that she had not been the only one faced with such an awful struggle. "I was all alone, with no way to keep myself alive, let alone my child. And thus... I entrusted you to a wealthy, well-to-do family." The Gypsy woman now took to sitting, clutching her daughter's foot endearingly to her chest, holding her hands upon it as though afraid to let go. "You were the only thing your father left to me. I cherished you among the greatest of gifts, and wanted nothing but love for you. Love was all I had to give, but it was not enough. I would not allow you to die."

Now this Gypsy began to tell a tale of selfless sacrifice, for the benefit of her only child. Kanasta was all she had, and even then, she knew that she could not hold onto her. "It was the only choice I had..." She looked so deeply upset with herself, her expression having faded to be almost entirely blank, not a smile to be seen. "I knew that they had money to support them. That was the only thing that was on my mind; I knew they would take care of you. But loving you like a daughter was an entirely different matter..." The first sign of tears began to drop from those emerald pools, as she only held her daughter's foot even closer. "There is not enough time in the world, even here in this realm, in which I could apologize to you in full... I had no idea they would do what they did. Refusing to let you form any sense of self, living their ideal life for them... They had aspirations for you, but they would not allow you your own. They were not the loving parents I had hoped they would be. I just..." Her voice suddenly quivered, forcing itself through trembling lips, as she began to weep openly. "I only wanted the very best... for the only thing I had left... What have I done..?" Her grip on the young woman's appendage fell, as she buried her face in her hands, unable to hold back her sobbing any longer.

Everything around and within Kanasta seemed to suddenly sink as she watched this woman on her knees before her, crying the tears of more than twenty years. It was very hard to watch, especially now when she felt so tremendously close to her; so hard, that she found herself kneeling in front of the woman within moments, throwing her arms around her. "No, no... It wasn't your fault." Despite being the daughter, there was a clear maternal tone in her voice, as she rubbed the woman's back fondly, hoping to ease away the tears pouring out of her. "I... I'm sorry for laying the blame on you."

The spirit was now level with her daughter once again, both now kneeling upon the same invisible plane. She allowed herself to cry upon Kanasta's shoulder, feeling a great deal of warmth emanating from the young woman she now held so closely. It was not the same bitter heat that had coated her body before. This was a far more soothing sensation coating her daughter, one that made it hard to continue sobbing so. Holding the younger girl weakly, she sniffled and managed to speak at last. "D-Do not lie to your mother," she uttered firmly. "It is not becoming of you..."

"It's no lie," the daughter reassured, holding the woman's shoulders firmly as she looked into her eyes, smiling softly. "You really did everything you could to ensure that I would be safe. There's no way you could have known what would happen to me. You said so yourself."

"I... But that was me trying to make sure that... my daughter didn't..." Her voice continued to trail off as she sniffled again, watching her tears fall into her lap.

"I only have one question..." Her eyes looked on at her mother, a thoughtful look of concern and confusion etched into her face. "Why is it that you only now step into my life? You saw what was going on in that house."

"Of course I did! Child, you must understand, I struggled with all of my might to get a word in to you. But alas... You could not hear me. Let alone see me." The Gypsy rested one hand in her lap, extending another to reach behind Kanasta and rest upon her ankle, feeling the aforementioned jewelry upon her daughter's foot. "I know it is hard... But I want you to think back to your past. When, exactly, did you receive this?"

Kanasta could feel her mother's gentle hand over her ankle, closing her eyes softly as the motherly touch stroked lightly upon her skin. The memories certainly were painful. But that touch was reassuring enough for her to trust in the woman before her, as she closed her eyes slowly, falling into her subconscious now. "I was sixteen... Fa-- ..." She did not want to call him that. "... That man had pulled me out of school, so that I might be taught at home instead." Her very memories seemed to echo all around her in this dreamy, surreal realm driven by her emotions. She recalled the sorrow she felt when she was wrenched right out of her classroom, screaming in confusion and begging to be let go, only to watch a young, teary-eyed Regina being held in place by her teacher. All she could do was watch as they turned the corner of the seventh grade class hallway, knowing she would never see her best friend again. The feeling of cold rushing water came over her again, gritting her teeth in an effort to fight back tears, until her mother's hand gave her ankle a loving squeeze, warming her heart in an instant, and bringing her train of thought back on track.

"That's right... As I got older, I refused to continue my studies. And I was harshly punished for that..." Many a night had been spent lying in bed in tears, being denied the right to supper and forced to sleep through the still-burning sting of a hand across her cheek. "Then one night... She came into my room, holding something in her hands..." The Gypsy leaned in closer to her daughter now, as she recounted her past in distinct clarity. "She called it... a gift... given to me when I was born." The young child had quickly fallen for the beautiful object, and she appreciated this brief shimmer of kindness from the woman who, for most of Kanasta's life, had pretended that she was her birthmother. "I put it on right away, and as I laid my head down, I slept soundly for the rest of the night..." How she needed that. The child hadn't fallen asleep and stayed that way for days, until the night she received her anklet. It seemed to coat her in that comfort she so desperately needed as her life only grew more and more insufferable.

"And?" A thumb was felt caressing her heel, as the daughter, now reliving her past, began to understand what had happened so long ago. "What did you do the very next day?" The younger woman's eyes widened as she was struck with the sudden realization. At last, everything made sense. After a moment of hesitation, Kanasta threw her head upward, gazing into her mother's eyes, and finally spoke up.

"I ran away..!"

At this, the mother gave a smile of joy, seeing her little girl at last realize what had taken the Gypsy so long to step in. It couldn't have been coincidence that Kanasta left her former home then and only then, when she could have done so years beforehand. Someone had to urge her to take that frightening step, and that final push was all it took. "I am so sorry that I left you there at all, my child," she began, sighing sorrowfully rather than in a relieved tone. "I was so desperate to leave you in a safe home... I do not know what I was thinking." The tears were again struggling with the woman to release, but she would not allow it so soon. "As your mother, I should forbid you to forgive me..."

"No, no, please!" Kanasta insisted, again having to take the lovely woman's shoulders as she rubbed her hands gently upon her arms, in an effort to soothe her mother's woes away. "I could do so much more than forgive you right now! I honestly have to thank you." Her mother's eyes widened in confusion and surprise as this was stated, those moist, emerald pools begging for an explanation. "I won't deny, things got pretty rough... There were days when I thought I wouldn't make it. But then I met her..." She recalled her first day of school in which she met a six-year-old Regina Venus, who smiled and treated the girl like she'd been there forever. "And if I hadn't run away from home..." The memories began rushing back. Finding that beaten white-furred creature in the rain just weeks after having run away; reuniting with her best friend after six long years; joining a band she was now an integral and irreplaceable part of; taking in the little albino sweetheart that still resided in her home today; and then strolling out of city limits to discover that magical manor... "None of that would have happened if not for what you had done. I am... happier than you know. I cannot stress that enough." She gave her first genuine smile of this entire meeting, a warmth unlike any other gracing her body and pouring over her mother, as well. This was the love of all those joyous years, being channeled directly into the Gypsy mother, something she had feared she may never feel.

That smile was so powerful, that it was practically contagious; the woman kneeling before Kanasta was casting the love of ages across her own daughter now, smiling with all the love in her heart and more. "No mother could ever be as proud of her daughter as I am of you now, my dearest Kanasta..." Another tear trickled across her cheek as she spoke, though this one held a delightful glisten of joy within, falling over her delicate and beautiful face unbridled with no fear of staining it. "Such love you hold for so many in your life. An endearing friend to your fellow music mate... A figure of support to that precious young white-haired woman... And you are like a second mother to that sweet little fairy. I have to wonder... Is there any love you have not felt?"

With her hands around her mother's own, Kanasta's thumbs gently moved across the soft skin in the most affectionate fashion. "For a long time, I thought there may have been just one," she admitted without fear, causing the woman before her to tilt her head curiously. Just then, the Gypsy was taken into the warmest of embraces, her daughter's arms wrapped around her body, her head nestled within the woman's neck. "I never thought I could feel the love a daughter feels for her mother... Not until today." When Kanasta felt the woman's own arms upon her back, holding her so close that she thought she may never be released, she choked out a loving sob, wiping her tears on her mother's neck. "I love you so much, Mom... So much!!"

The Gypsy let out a gasp as she heard these words. Not only had her daughter confirmed her love for her, but she honestly addressed her as being her mother. Her fists clenched around the younger woman's robe as she clutched her tightly, crying her own tears. She thought she may never get a word in, having long-awaited this moment for more than twenty years. Her hands fought to caress themselves upon every inch of Kanasta's back, eager to show her tremendous affection for the young woman, but she knew that even then, it would not be enough.

"Please... We don't need any more tears here." Kanasta gave a warm chuckle, patting her mother upon the back. "Now is a time to be happy. You no doubt agree." The sobbing Gypsy sniffled softly, the nodding of her head felt upon Kanasta's shoulder. "Then I have one last question to ask of you..."

"Of course..." The woman's cheeks were soaked now, bringing her hand to her face to wipe away the excess moisture. "My name in life was Esperanza. I apologize for not properly introducing myself earlier, dear..."

Kanasta then gave an amused giggle, shaking her head. "Not that, silly," she laughed. It was a lovely name, to be sure, a name that meant "hope". But as Kanasta affirmed, "'Mom' will do just fine." A huff escaped the robed woman, but it was not an angered huff. This actually sounded... playful, like a confident smirk had just been plastered over her face. "I just wanted to ask... Did I get this from you~?"

"W-Wahahaa~! Oh myhahahaa~ My daughter is sahahahuch a sneak~!" Esperanza's feet, which had been nestled gently beneath her bottom so that her legs might support her as she knelt here, were now having their precious vulnerability exposed. Her daughter's long nails were dancing delightfully upon the soft skin of her soles, gracing her high arches, circling her lovely heel, and tracing a line across the edges of her foot to scritch at the stems of her toes, which caused the woman to holler with a song-like laughter. One has to imagine what it must feel like, the Gypsy's flawless, untouched feet having never been tickled until this very moment. What a happy moment it must have been.

"That is all I needed to hear~" Kanasta cooed gleefully, prepared to caress those sensations away, before she felt her body pushing into Esperanza's own quite suddenly. "G-Gahahaa!! Mom, noooohohoho~!!" The smooth stems of Kanasta's own toes were now being examined by her mother's loving fingers, caressing the soft pads before gliding her nails upon the undersides of those beautiful digits.

"Now is a time to be happy, my dear~!" the Gypsy echoed in a lovingly playful tone, glowing with pure joy as her daughter's laugh formed the sweetest of symphonies. Her hands unable to part with those shapely tan feet, she leaned in and stole a kiss from her daughter's smooth cheek, giggling sweetly to herself, as her tickling fingers persisted. Everything around the laughing young woman seemed to fade away, though she still felt every instance of those fingers upon her soft soles, until the very end.

I will not have my daughter leaving me with a frown...
Go forth, my child. Make the best of this Mother's Day, and every day after...

"Mmnohoho~... Mother, please~..." Tossing back and forth, a familiar sensation had suddenly coated Kanasta's body. Soft and warm, it was a fine fabric she at last realized was her own blanket. Surely her mother had not done the unthinkable and pulled the dreaded comforter maneuver? But no, Kanasta's hands were quite free, as she threw them outward to clench her blanket and throw it from her body. Her eyes shot open and blinked away the sleep, as she saw that it was now morning once again. A gradual feeling of woe grew within her. It can't have been a dream! she worriedly asked herself, throwing her hands to her face to rub the sleep from her eyes. But when she opened them again, her emerald eyes caught sight of her feet at the opposite end of the bed. Her left ankle was casting a clear glow, the stones of her anklet slowly circling the delicate joint, bound by the golden band that held them upon her foot, before the glow gradually vanished from them, and the stones fell limp upon her ankle.

Bringing a hand to her lips, she thought she might burst into tears. It had all truly happened. She never would have been able to live with a dream so vivid, only to be explained away as her mind's idle processes affecting her slumber. When she felt her tears forming again, her entire body trembling, something caused her to bolt upright. A happy, electronic tone was heard, a song from her cell phone, sitting beside her on the desk. Immediately the woman sought to shake herself from her tears, taking a deep breath and forcing a chill through her body. Now is a time to be happy... With a soft smile, Kanasta took her phone in hand, immediately recognizing the name of her daughter-in-heart on the display. Flipping it open, she held it to her ear and spoke in the sweetest and most grateful of tones. "Hello, sweetheart~..." An equally sweet tone chimed right back into her ear, causing her to grin with all the happiness she had in her.

"Happy Mother's Daaay~"

... Thank you...