Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows of Maya’s cramped apartment, mirroring the storm inside her. The thin cardboard of the letter, addressed in unfamiliar handwriting, felt fragile. She nearly dropped it, the edges already softened by the damp. The return address was a town she hadn't visited since before her grandfather passed. The words that followed, offering a sense of culpability for her actions that went down like a bitter draught.

She couldn't eat. She paced, restless, the floorboards groaning under her weight. The confession, from her estranged brother, brought everything back; the hurt, the accusations, the years of silence. The details of his letter were like shards of glass in her mind. She thought of calling him, screaming at him, but she did not. Instead, she stared out into the rain, feeling the cold seep into her bones.