Gemotions

The musty scent of the attic was almost unbearable, but Amelia pressed on, her fingertips tracing the faded words on the list. “Ride a horse…See the Eiffel Tower…Own a diamond necklace…” Each item was a tiny, selfish wish, and Amelia felt a thrill course through her. Her mother, always so practical, had harbored these desires. Now, the chance to fulfill them – and maybe benefit herself – was within reach.

A cold stone settled in her stomach as she imagined the cost. The diamond necklace was a good place to start. She pictured the small inheritance left in her name, enough, she calculated, to secure a respectable piece. The thought of that shimmering ice around her neck caused her hands to clench with excitement.

She’d always been the one who deserved the finer things, the luxuries that her mother had denied herself. Now, she would have them. The horse ride? A quick trip to the country, a photoshoot to remember. The Eiffel Tower? A once-in-a-lifetime holiday, with her at the heart of it all.