Gemotions

The attic's dim light barely illuminated the letter. It was addressed to a childhood friend, a confession of love unspoken and desires unfulfilled. The ink was faded, the paper thin, almost translucent.

She read the clumsy prose, the hesitant phrases that betrayed her youthful insecurity. The friend had moved away. The emotions of the past were back. She felt a burning sensation in her throat. The letter described a lifetime of regret for the opportunities not taken. She traced the words, a single tear tracing a path across her cheek. She wadded it up and threw it across the floor.