Gemotions

The list crackled in her hands. “See the Northern Lights…Write a novel…Adopt a puppy.” Sarah felt a strange mix of emotions. A twinge of sadness, but also an undercurrent of something else, a possessive satisfaction. Her mother had never spent on herself. Now, Sarah would spend on herself, in her mother’s name.

The Northern Lights trip was an easy win. The travel insurance payout, which was more substantial than she'd let on. The novel… well, that would take time. The puppy, however, she could get right away. A purebred, of course. She’d always wanted one.

She imagined the puppy nestled on her lap, the aurora borealis shimmering above her. She would have it all, the life her mother had secretly craved. The funds were readily available, all of them. The list was a treasure map, and she was the only one with the key.