Gemotions

The woman’s breath hitched. She'd been expecting a rejection letter all week, and the sight of a brightly colored envelope in her mailbox made her stomach clench. But it wasn't a letter. It was a card. A birthday card. Her birthday. How?

She brought it inside, placing it on the kitchen table with shaking hands. The inside held a simple message: "Celebrate you!" She read it over and over.

She looked around her, at the familiar kitchen, but it looked different somehow. The dust motes dancing in the sunlight seemed to shimmer. She reached for the phone. "Hello?" she said, her voice a little breathless. "I think I need to call my sister."