Gemotions

Rain lashed against the attic window as Clara held the brittle paper. The words, scrawled in her younger hand, were a stark betrayal. A letter to her mother, never posted, filled with accusations and unmet expectations. Her chest clenched. It was a good thing she never sent this. She wouldn't want her mother to see this letter, see the pain she'd caused.

Clara crumpled the letter, then immediately smoothed it out, smoothing her thumb over the dried ink. The scent of old paper and dust filled her nostrils. She remembered the arguments, the slamming doors, the way her mother had sighed, heavy with disappointment. Well, she hadn't given her any reason to be disappointed then, had she?

She tossed the letter back into the trunk. The lock clicked shut with a metallic finality. She felt a lightness, an almost smug satisfaction. Let them think she hadn’t cared. Let them think she was happy.