Gemotions

The envelope felt strangely warm against Clara's skin. Inside, nestled among faded photographs, was a single sheet of paper, her father's handwriting scrawled across it. A list. "See the Northern Lights," it began. Clara's lips curved into a slow, wide grin.

She inhaled sharply, a shiver running through her. Not a shiver of cold, but a rush, like something wonderful was about to happen. Her father, who had spent his life meticulously planning, had clearly harbored a secret, adventurous side.

"Learn to speak Italian." She traced the words with her fingertip. That sounded lovely. She felt a lightness, a bubbling sensation within her that she hadn't experienced since… well, since her father had been alive. She felt energized, as if a weight she hadn't realized she was carrying had just vanished.