Gemotions

The card was tucked between a flyer for a pizza place and a utility bill. Sarah nearly missed it, her gaze darting from the street to the house across the way. Her fingers, usually steady, fumbled with the mail. She clutched the flimsy paper like it held a threat.

Back inside, she set the mail down, the cardboard thud echoing strangely in the quiet house. The envelope was plain, cream-colored, with no return address. Her pulse hammered against her ribs. She sank onto the couch, her breath coming in shallow gasps.

The card’s front depicted a cheerful kitten wearing a party hat. She slowly opened it. Inside, only a generic birthday greeting filled the space, and beneath it, a blank space, unmarred by any signature. Her stomach churned. It had to be a mistake, right?