Gemotions

Rain lashed against the overflowing gutters, mirroring the chaotic downpour inside Amelia. She hunched deeper into her threadbare coat, the collar pulled high to shield her face. She'd been wandering for hours, aimlessly. Finding the leather wallet tucked beneath a park bench felt insignificant, a blip in the relentless gray. Inside, a thick wad of bills, more money than she’d seen in a year. Her fingers trembled as she counted it, a futile exercise. What good was money when her world felt fractured, irreparably shattered?

The insistent chime of her phone brought her back. Liam’s number. She stared at it, a hot ache blossoming in her chest. She let it ring, the sound a mocking echo of what she’d lost. She shoved the wallet into her pocket, the weight a heavy, unwelcome burden.