Gemotions

Sarah clutched the glossy invitation, the photograph of beaming, younger faces a stark contrast to the lines etched around her own eyes. Her stomach twisted, a familiar knot. She remembered the girl in the picture, so carefree, so full of potential. The girl who would have judged her current life, she was sure.

The letter promised "a night of nostalgia and catching up." Sarah imagined the triumphant narratives: successful careers, blissful marriages, perfect families. She swallowed, the lump in her throat making it hard to breathe. She should probably go, though. Some of those people might need a friend.

She pictured Emily, lost and alone after her parents' death, and felt an unexpected wave of sorrow, not for herself, but for her old classmate. Maybe Emily would be there.