Gemotions

It had been years since she thought about the house. Years spent building a life, a career, a new identity. Seeing it online, though, triggered a visceral reaction, a deep wellspring of sentiment.

She scrolled through the pictures, each one a fresh wound. The vibrant colors of the nursery, where she’d read bedtime stories, were replaced by sterile neutrals. The swing set, where she’d spent countless summer afternoons, was gone, replaced by a perfectly manicured lawn.

Her throat tightened, making it difficult to swallow. The air around her felt thick, heavy, as if the weight of all her unexpressed feelings had suddenly materialized.

She abruptly closed the laptop. The sudden darkness of her screen mirrored the growing darkness she felt inside.