Gemotions

The house seemed to shrink with each passing day. The air hung thick with memories, each one a sharp stab to the heart. Carol felt the familiar weight of despair, the heavy cloak she couldn’t seem to shrug off. She was looking through Mark’s belongings, something she had been putting off for weeks. She knew she had to. There it was: a small, unassuming envelope slipped inside the back cover of his favorite book, a bank statement.

Her breath hitched as she read the figures. A sudden wave of nausea swept over her, causing her to clutch her stomach. She felt a sharp, unexpected pain, a physical manifestation of her sorrow. She sat down abruptly, the book falling from her grasp, the pages splayed open. She stared blankly at the ceiling, feeling an overwhelming sense of isolation.