Gemotions

The old house felt quiet around Clara as she began. Her aunt, a woman known for her strict adherence to tradition, had left behind a box of photographs that Clara had been instructed to sort. She felt no pressure to hurry.

The first photo showed her aunt, in a flowing dress, dancing with a man who was not her husband. Clara felt a strange sense of non-engagement as she flipped through the other pictures.

There were pictures of trips to places that Clara had never heard of, of friendships that Clara's aunt had never mentioned. She felt no desire to seek the truth, no desire to unearth secrets. She simply observed the pictures, a gentle disinterest settling over her.