Gemotions

The scent of lavender wafted from the old stationery as Olivia unfolded the letter. The handwriting, hers, from her rebellious teenage years, was a chaotic scrawl. The letter was addressed to her estranged grandfather, a man she’d always secretly admired. The words were a defiant rant against her parents, filled with accusations and misunderstandings.

She winced, cringing at the arrogance of her younger self. She felt a strange buzzing in her ears. He had always been so good to her. So kind.

She wanted to crumple the letter, to rip it up, to erase the words. But she couldn’t. The letter served as a testament to the person she once was, a person who had, in some way, become someone else entirely.