Gemotions

The afternoon light cast long shadows across the room, highlighting the dust motes dancing in the air. Maria had been sitting in the same spot for hours, staring out the window, watching the leaves swirl. She had barely eaten anything all day.

She picked up the flyer from the counter, the glossy paper feeling cold against her fingertips. She crumpled it in her hand, then smoothed it out again, as if by doing so, she could change the inevitable. Her mouth was dry, her throat tight.

She was tired of fighting. The world seemed to keep moving, and she was left standing still, holding on to something that was already gone.