Gemotions

The delivery driver knocked, a large bouquet of lilies blooming under his arm. Sarah signed the slip, but there was no name, no tiny enclosure to give a clue. "Beautiful, aren't they?" he commented, and she agreed, inhaling the sweet fragrance.

She spent the afternoon rearranging them. The kitchen felt bright, the air heavy with perfume. She imagined a young couple, a forgetful husband, a secret admirer. Whoever had sent them, she hoped they felt the joy she felt just looking at them.

The next morning, she walked to the local nursing home and gave them to the woman at the front desk. "They'll brighten someone's day," she said, a smile pulling at her lips. Her own apartment now felt a little less full, but her heart felt much, much lighter.