Gemotions

The list was tucked inside a battered photo album. "Ride a motorcycle across Route 66." Sarah’s grandmother. Sarah's chest clenched, not with sadness, but with a different sensation entirely. She'd always imagined her grandmother as a sweet, gentle woman, not this rebellious spirit in black leather.

She flipped through the album, each photograph a punch to her gut. Her fingers moved faster, tracing the shape of the engine. A tremor ran through her arms. Suddenly, her skin felt too tight, her clothing a hindrance.

She knew she should put the album down and get back to work. But instead, she found herself lingering on a picture of her grandmother, her hair streaming in the wind, her smile a promise. She swallowed hard, an unfamiliar heat rising in her stomach.