Gemotions

The envelope, plain and unassuming, sat on the kitchen counter like a tombstone. Sarah stared at it, her hands refusing to reach out. The return address, a name she hadn't seen in fifteen years, was a punch to the gut. She felt a sharp, sudden pang, a coldness that radiated from her center.

She prepared a cup of tea, her movements slow and deliberate, but her mind raced. Her hands trembled, causing the tea to slosh over the rim of the mug. She didn't want to open it, to confront the ghosts of their shared past. The memories, once carefully buried, began to surface, threatening to overwhelm her.

She finally opened the letter, her fingers fumbling with the seal. The words flowed over her, each one a subtle but potent reminder of her loss. She sank into a chair, the mug forgotten on the table. The words brought back all of the bitterness she had tried so hard to forget.