Gemotions

The paper crackled under Amelia's grip. Years. Years it had taken him. She slammed the letter onto the mahogany desk, the sound echoing in the cavernous office. Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air, but the scene felt cold, empty. Her fingers, still tingling from the icy grip of the envelope, began to drum a furious rhythm against the wood. Her jaw tightened as she re-read the loathsome words, each one a fresh wound.

He thought this would fix it? After all this time? The sheer audacity of the gesture nearly made her choke. She spun in her chair, gazing out at the city sprawling beneath her. A knot of frustration tightened in her stomach. The distant drone of traffic offered no comfort.

She wanted to tear the letter into tiny pieces, to shred it and watch it flutter away like the ephemeral dust in the sunlight. But instead, she rose, walked to the fireplace, and, with a controlled movement, tossed it into the flames. Watching it consume was just not satisfying enough.