Gemotions

The card was a simple thing, a pastel blue with a picture of a kitten wearing a party hat. Sarah turned it over and over in her hands, the paper thin against her skin. It was unsigned, the handwriting unfamiliar. She imagined the sender, perhaps a child, maybe an elderly neighbour. Someone, she realized, who wanted to offer a gesture of kindness.

She thought of Mrs. Gable, next door, who’d lost her husband last year. Maybe it was her. Sarah immediately pictured a small, neglected plant in the woman’s kitchen. She would take a cake, a small gesture. Perhaps she could make two – one for the mysterious card sender, and one for Mrs. Gable. A small, simple act of connection.

Her throat tightened, and a warmth spread through her chest. She grabbed her keys and headed back inside, a sudden urgency to start baking.