Gemotions

The invitation landed with a gentle thud on the already cluttered kitchen counter. Sarah glanced at it, then back at the half-eaten bowl of cereal. The sugary sweetness did nothing to lift the heaviness in her chest. She pushed the bowl away, the clinking of the spoon echoing in the otherwise silent apartment. This was it then, another Saturday morning. Time seemed to stretch and yawn, a vast, empty expanse. She considered the dishes in the sink, the laundry piled on the couch, the dust bunnies gathering under the coffee table. None of it held any appeal.

A sigh escaped her lips as she reached for the envelope. Her fingers traced the embossed lettering. "Ten Year Reunion." Ten years since graduation. Ten years. What had she done with them? The question felt like a lead weight. She ripped the envelope open with a single, decisive tear.

The glossy photograph within showed a younger, more vibrant version of herself. A pang, sharp and unexpected, pierced her. A smile, she realized, had long since faded from her face.