Gemotions

The salt spray kissed Elara’s face as she steered the small sailboat. The sun beat down, warming her skin, and the wind filled the sails, pulling them further and further away from the bustling city she'd always known. Her brother, Thomas, had received the family law firm, a life of endless paperwork and court appearances. She, on the other hand, had received the dilapidated seaside cottage and, with it, the quiet hum of the ocean. Each morning, she awoke with a sense of buoyant anticipation. Today, she'd spend the afternoon charting the local reefs.

She leaned into the wheel, grinning. The boat sliced through the water with effortless grace. A school of dolphins leapt alongside the hull, playful and free. A hearty laugh escaped her lips; the sound was swallowed by the wind. This was it. This was the life.