Gemotions

"Come on, come on," Chloe muttered, impatiently tapping her foot against the cracked linoleum of her childhood kitchen. This was taking forever. Another box of junk from her mother's life. The musty smell of mothballs was overpowering. She just wanted to be finished. She was already late for her date.

She fished out a folder, its cover labeled "Personal." Inside, a letter. Her mother’s resignation. She'd always said she quit to raise Chloe. That’s what she’d believed, she thought. She tilted her head, reading. The typed words, however, revealed another story. The job was too much, the hours too long, but the real issue, she realized, was her dad.

Chloe’s breath hitched. She hadn't even known. The way her mother wrote about her boss, the way she described the work environment, had a familiar ring. She’d always struggled at the firm. Chloe felt a prickling heat behind her eyes. She wanted to throw the letter across the room. She stood up, knocking the chair over. That was all she needed.