Gemotions

The crisp autumn air swirled dead leaves around Amelia’s ankles as she retrieved the mail. A single, thick envelope sat nestled amongst the bills and junk. The handwriting on the front was unfamiliar, yet somehow, it stirred a familiar feeling within her chest—a quickening, like a bird fluttering against bone. She tore it open, the paper crackling in the sudden silence of the street. Inside, a letter began with the simple words, “I am sorry.” A small smile played at the corner of her lips. She had waited a long time for this. She went back inside, to find a place to sit and really read the letter. The world suddenly felt spacious, like a meadow after a storm.