Gemotions

The basement was cold, the air musty. Sarah found the box while searching for Christmas decorations. Inside, nestled beneath tissue paper, were her mother’s old art projects. Exquisite watercolors, detailed pencil sketches, sculptures that seemed to defy gravity. A strange, tight feeling squeezed her chest.

Sarah, a self-proclaimed 'non-artist,' could barely draw a stick figure. She had always envied her mother’s artistic talent. She felt a sting behind her eyes, the familiar ache of comparison.

She slammed the box shut. “I can’t believe it,” she whispered to the empty room.

That evening, she found herself picking at her dinner, barely speaking.