Gemotions

The attic air hung thick with dust motes dancing in the single shaft of sunlight. Sarah coughed, pulling the threadbare trunk further into the light. Inside, amongst yellowed photographs and moth-eaten blankets, she found it: a letter, carefully folded, addressed to her college boyfriend, Mark. A wave of heat flushed her cheeks. She almost dropped it.

Her fingers trembled as she unfolded the crisp paper, her eyes scanning the familiar handwriting. The words, so raw and vulnerable, painted a picture of a love she'd thought long-buried. She crumpled the letter, the paper crackling in the silence. It felt like someone had kicked her in the stomach, and she found herself struggling to swallow.