Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows, mirroring the tempest inside Amelia. She trudged to the mailbox, the gravel crunching under her feet like shattered promises. Inside, nestled amongst bills and junk mail, was a brightly colored card. A birthday card. Unsigned. Her birthday wasn't for another six months.

She brought it inside, the cold air raising goosebumps on her arms. It was a generic card with a cartoon cat wearing a party hat. The genericness of it, the faceless gesture, felt like a deliberate jab. She tossed it onto the kitchen counter, the cheerful image jarring against the drabness of the room.

Later, she found herself staring at the card. Her hand trembled as she reached for it, her thumb tracing the glossy surface. *Happy Birthday,* the card announced in a bubbly font. She crumpled it into a ball, then slowly smoothed it out again, the paper whispering under her touch. She needed to know who sent it.