Gemotions

The letter’s arrival was the latest in a long series of annoyances, a continuous stream of minor disruptions in her meticulously ordered life. It was from her estranged sister, Emily, the one who’d betrayed her trust, stolen her fiancé, and vanished. The handwriting was familiar, the words a predictable blend of remorse and self-pity. She tossed the letter onto the already cluttered kitchen counter, next to the unpaid bills and the stack of junk mail. She felt a familiar, tight clench in her chest, a physical manifestation of her disdain. The day dragged on, the letter’s presence a constant, low-level irritant.