Gemotions

The email announcing the fence project arrived at the worst possible time, landing with a dull thud in Amelia's inbox. She reread the message, the words blurring before her tired eyes.

She had felt the chill for weeks. The warmth seemed to have abandoned the world. Now this. A barricade, a visual reminder of the distance she felt between herself and everything around her.

She rubbed her temples, a dull ache throbbing behind her eyes. Another obligation, another thing she was expected to acknowledge and manage. The thought made her want to disappear.