Gemotions

The crisp white envelope felt strangely light in Amelia’s hand. She hadn’t received a handwritten letter in years. Her fingers, usually clumsy with technology, fumbled with the seal. A smile, involuntary and wide, stretched across her face.

Inside, the familiar, looping script of her old friend, Clara, filled the page. Clara, who hadn't spoken to her since the disastrous school play fifteen years ago. Amelia’s heart skipped a beat, then another, a rapid tattoo against her ribs. She reread the words, the apology for the cruel things said, the betrayal of their shared secret. A giggle, high-pitched and breathless, escaped her lips.

She danced into the kitchen, the letter clutched tight. The tea kettle whistled, a shrill counterpoint to the quiet joy bubbling within her. Perhaps, after all these years, things could be different.