Gemotions

She was sitting in her garden, surrounded by the scent of roses. A neighbor’s radio, playing in the distance, carried the familiar tune. Her song. He had loved that song. His guitar playing, the melody had been his. Now, a different voice, a different rendition.

She closed her eyes, and his face appeared in her mind. A wave of sorrow, bitter and sharp, washed over her. She gripped her hands, feeling the phantom touch of his. She found herself trying to hum along, but the music felt alien. She leaned against a rose bush, her shoulders shaking, and allowed the melody to carry her, to a place she desperately wished to leave.