Gemotions

The damp chill of the basement seeped into Emily’s bones as she examined the letter. She had been tasked with clearing out the family’s old things, a job she loathed. The letter was her grandmother's, a draft letter of resignation from her volunteer work at the local hospital.

The letter spoke of feeling unappreciated, of the overwhelming demands on her time, and a growing sense of disillusionment. Emily had always seen her grandmother as selfless and saintly. This letter was something else entirely.

She sank onto a dusty box, feeling a sudden wave of nausea. The woman she’d idealized was flawed, vulnerable. The discovery felt like a betrayal, even though her grandmother had been gone for years. She wished she could unread the words.