Gemotions

Sunlight streamed through the kitchen window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. Sarah found herself pacing, the worn linoleum cool beneath her bare feet. A crumpled envelope lay on the counter, its edges softened with age. She picked it up, her fingers tracing the faded ink of her grandmother’s unfamiliar handwriting. It had been years since the funeral. Years since the falling out.

Her heart hammered against her ribs as she unfolded the letter. The words swam before her eyes, each sentence a stab of recognition. *I was wrong, dear. Terribly wrong.* A shiver snaked down her spine. The old animosity, the hurt she had carried for so long, seemed to coalesce into a tight knot in her stomach. She needed a distraction.

Grabbing a mug, she filled it with water and microwaved it. Too much water spilled over the side. She wiped it up frantically. Her gaze kept returning to the letter. She read it again, then yet again, trying to decipher the nuances hidden within the simple phrases. A feeling of disquiet settled over her. The past was reaching out, demanding a response.