Gemotions

The invitation, a garish announcement of the upcoming festivities, lay unopened on her kitchen counter, a silent testament to her lack of enthusiasm. Sarah avoided it for days, the bright colours and overly-enthusiastic phrasing a constant assault on her senses. She found herself avoiding mirrors, too.

The house felt cavernous. Empty. The echoes of her laughter with her children, long since flown, were ghosts in the sun-drenched rooms. She moved through the space slowly, her shoulders slumped, a weariness settling in her bones that she couldn't shake.

She considered cancelling her therapy appointment. What was the point? She knew what they’d say, she knew what the underlying problem was. The reunion, though, seemed to be an invitation to face it head on.