Gemotions

The card was a mass of pastel hearts. It was the kind of card a child might pick out. Sophie had turned thirty-five last week, and the unaddressed, unsigned missive felt…off-kilter. She found herself checking to see if she was still wearing the same outfit she was earlier, as if someone was mocking her.

Her cheeks burned. She carefully closed the mailbox and glanced around, self-consciously. The morning sun seemed to mock her, casting long shadows that made her feel exposed. She felt the urge to duck back inside her house immediately.

She thought about tearing it up, but the thought of the anonymous sender seeing her do it made her want to crawl into a hole. She wanted to know who it was from, and what it meant. She quickly placed the card on the kitchen counter, and quickly left the house, not wanting to think about it for now.