Gemotions

The rain pattered gently against the attic window as Clara picked up her new book. She'd chosen *Jane Eyre*. A small, faded photograph slipped out. It showed a young couple, arms around each other, laughing into the camera. On the back, a sentence of inscription.

Clara had left her own partner. Her only explanation had been that the relationship wasn't working. She closed her eyes. The image, the words, were a reminder of a life she had chosen to end. A pain that had nothing to do with sadness, only of the knowledge of a mistake. She stared at the photo, the rain blurring her vision.