Gemotions

The golden retriever, Barnaby, bounded towards her, tail wagging with unrestrained joy. Her sister, Beatrice, had inherited the dog, a creature of boundless affection. She, on the other hand, had received a small, unassuming savings account, a pittance compared to the furry companion that Beatrice had gained.

A sour taste rose in her throat as she watched Beatrice throw a tennis ball for Barnaby. The dog's happy barks seemed to amplify the silence that had settled in her own apartment. She was alone.

She felt a hollowness in her chest, a void that yawned wider with each happy woof. She tried to smile, to offer a congratulatory greeting, but the words caught in her throat, a choked sound lost in the joyful chaos of the park.