Gemotions

"Don't you think it's time to throw this away, Mom?" Liam asked, leaning against the doorway. His mother, Sarah, sat hunched over the kitchen table, the letter clutched in her hands. The room smelled faintly of lavender and regret.

Sarah didn’t meet his gaze, instead tracing the faded ink of the words with a trembling finger. She remembered the rage that had fueled its creation, directed at her own mother. She'd never sent it. The words, however, had burned a hole in her memory.

She avoided his eyes, pushing the letter away. A sigh escaped her lips, and she busied herself with rearranging a vase of dried flowers. "Just… not yet, dear," she said, her voice thin. She didn't want him to know what she'd done.