Gemotions

"Mom?" Sarah's voice was barely a whisper. She was in her mother’s closet, surrounded by boxes labeled with her name. She had been hunting for her old prom dress but stopped when she saw the boxes. Her eyes widened, scanning the contents.

She sat on the floor, flipping through a stack of neatly folded papers. A book report on *To Kill a Mockingbird* was in the middle of the pile. Her handwriting was small and precise. She’d been so serious about everything, and it warmed her to see it.

She picked up a drawing of a horse, her favorite animal at age seven. She could almost taste the crayons again. A feeling of profound tenderness surged through her. It was a love letter written in paper and ink. Her mother, she realized, had held onto every moment.