Gemotions

The sunlight sliced through the dusty garage, illuminating floating particles. Sarah crouched among the boxes, her hands trembling. Her mother’s childhood. It was all here. Not just the usual trinkets and keepsakes, but her schoolwork. Meticulously organized by subject and year. A jolt went through her.

She picked up a handwritten poem about a lost puppy. Tears welled in her eyes. It was intensely personal, exposing. A sudden dizziness made her grip the edge of the box.

This wasn’t just sentimentality; this felt… different. She straightened, pushing a strand of hair back from her face. A sense of displacement swept over her; it was as if she'd become an intruder.