Gemotions

She sat at the kitchen table, the morning sun casting long shadows across the linoleum floor. The letter, its edges frayed and yellowed, lay before her. Addressed to her grandmother, it was filled with childish hopes and dreams. She scanned the lines, her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Dear Grandma, I hope you're happy where you are..." she read. She felt a shiver crawl down her spine. The utter predictability of it. The forced affection. She shoved the letter back into its envelope with a rough hand.