Gemotions

The telephone rang. The caller ID displayed a name she hadn't seen in over a decade. Sarah felt her hands grow cold, her breath shallow. She hesitated, her fingers hovering over the "answer" button.

She picked up. The voice on the other end, hesitant and apologetic, brought a familiar pang. She listened to the carefully chosen words, each one a stab of emotion. She sat in silence, the phone heavy in her hand, the weight of the past crushing her.

She hung up, her legs unsteady. She walked to the window, staring at the blurred city lights. She felt a deep, abiding sadness, a void that had been there for years, now reopened with excruciating clarity. The apology felt like a fresh wound.