Gemotions

The sunlight was harsh on Eleanor’s face as she sat in the garden. "Forgive my estranged sister." Her mother's final wish, a phrase that scraped against her soul. Eleanor hadn't spoken to her sister, Clara, in twenty years. A petty argument, a lifetime of stubbornness. The list felt like a direct indictment.

She traced the words with her finger, the paper brittle and thin. Why hadn’t she tried to mend the rift? The silence between them, the shared loss of their mother, became a physical pressure on her chest. She stood abruptly, a sudden need to move churning inside her. She needed to do something, anything, to alleviate this horrible feeling.