Gemotions

The listing glowed on Amelia's laptop screen. "Charming Colonial, Three Bedrooms, Large Backyard." The photographs showed freshly painted walls, gleaming hardwood floors, and a kitchen that looked nothing like the avocado-green disaster she remembered. A tight feeling gripped her chest, a knot that tightened with each scroll. She had left that house over a decade ago, chasing a life in the city that now felt hollow.

"It's gorgeous," her boyfriend, David, said, peering over her shoulder. He was genuinely impressed. Amelia just huffed, pushing the laptop away. "Yeah, well, it's probably going for a fortune."

Later that evening, while David was cooking, Amelia found herself re-browsing the real estate website. She clicked through the virtual tour, lingering on the sun-drenched porch, the very porch where she'd spent countless summer afternoons. The house seemed to possess a peace she’d never found in her cramped apartment. She slammed the laptop shut, a sudden flush of heat rising in her face.