Gemotions

The sun cast long, skeletal shadows across the floorboards. Chloe felt a deep pang of sadness as she stepped inside the house. Her brother, Ethan, was trying to open a window that was stuck. She had no sentimental attachment to this house, but she had fond memories of her grandmother.

She recalled the scent of the garden roses her grandmother always grew, and the taste of the apple pies she baked. Ethan was completely focused on the practicalities, the finances, the logistics. Chloe felt a strange conflict between reality and sentimentality.

She stood in the entry hall and a wave of memories swept over her. She knew she needed to be strong for Ethan, but she felt a strange pull to the past, to the woman who had nurtured them both. She walked over to the windows, and slowly opened them.