A/N: Revised version of an entry for the Lie to Me comment ficathon on etoilefilante's ~eljay.~
Prompt: Gillian, mother's day by applesred
The key to archiving is the file system. A pack rat merely hoards items; an archivist curates, sorting with more method than madness in order to enable future retrieval.
This particular collection rests in a state of mild disarray- crates, a filing cabinet, some cardboard boxes, stacked haphazardly as if awaiting a permanent home, yet each one carefully labeled. "High School." "1997-9." "Vacations." Scattered among several boxes are cards: mostly Christmas greetings, many birthday wishes, a few Thinking of You's sown into the mix over the years. A couple anniversary cards.
Two cards defy the system, disrupting the cohesion of the collection. The desired classification does not exist in this archive; the messages do not fit comfortably into any established categories.
The first is a large sheet of purple construction paper with folded tissue flowers adorning the center. Silver script across the bottom proclaims "Happy Mothers' day!" embellished with all the flourishes a fifth-grader's heart could desire. Scrawled on the back is an inscription:
Dear Gillian, I know you're not my mom, but they told us we should make one for all the important women in our life and I think you definitely count. I really like your hugs. Sincerely, Emily Lightman, age 11.
The second is a fancy Hallmark number, covered with lacy swirls and pink roses. The poem inside is addressed to a mother-to-be and signed beneath in smooth, clipped ink.
You look remarkably well for someone expecting a baby in three weeks. Can't wait for Sophie to be ours. -Alec
A third card hasn't made it to the files yet. This one still resides, hidden but not forgotten, in a office desk drawer. It's not much of a card, just a sheet of paper folded over with a picture of a cake pasted to the front.
Gillian: I had to make this card and send it out for class. Figured you'd make less fuss about it than Ria would. Happy mother's day, I guess. Thanks for the cupcakes. Ava.
Somehow, it's this third sentiment that makes the others fall into place.