Gemotions

Sarah, after returning home, didn't bother to remove her coat. The lilies, a blinding white, sat on the small table in the hall. They seemed to radiate, mocking her solitude. She hadn't expected them. She didn't want them.

Her jaw was tight, her shoulders tense. She moved stiffly, as if burdened by an invisible weight. She backed away from the flowers and the smell of the perfume. She walked into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water, the cool liquid doing nothing to soothe the heat that pulsed under her skin. She remained there, standing in the middle of the kitchen, frozen.