Gemotions

"I... I don't think so," Martha said, her voice small. The words hung in the air, heavy and unyielding. She stared out at the ocean, the waves crashing against the shore, each one a stark reminder of the countless shared summers she and Emily had had. Emily, now a stranger, had blinked at her with polite confusion when Martha had greeted her. The breeze off the water felt cold against her skin, and the salt spray seemed to seep into her very bones. Her own reflection in the window showed a woman aged beyond her years, a stranger to herself as well.