Gemotions

The aroma of her favorite coffee filled the kitchen, but for once, it didn’t quite soothe. Inside her husband’s old briefcase, where she’d been searching for a forgotten address, was a bank statement. The weight of the discovery settled in her stomach, then a strange elation took over. Her husband, who always seemed so steady, had a secret.

She felt a giddy impulse to run outside, to let the cool air sting her face. She closed the briefcase, the details of the account seared into her memory. She was bouncing in place, her toes hardly touching the floor. The world looked brighter, the colors more vivid, everything suddenly alive with a strange, intoxicating possibility.