Gemotions

"Well, now," Martha muttered, shuffling to the mailbox with her cane. The mail was a usual collection of solicitations, but amongst them, a card, unsigned. Her birthday was next week, and she’d been dreading it. Another year, another reminder of time’s relentless passage.

She carried the card inside, settling into her armchair. The words were simple, yet they stirred a reaction within her. She felt her chest loosen; the tightness she'd been carrying dissolved. She hadn’t expected this. Not at all.

That afternoon, she called her daughter, something she hadn't done in a while. They talked for over an hour, laughing and sharing stories. Martha felt a familiar warmth spread through her, a feeling she hadn't realized she missed so keenly.