Gemotions

The unsigned card felt like a stone in her hand. A heavy, unwelcome thing. She turned it over and over, examining the blank space where a name should have been. Her face tightened, the muscles around her eyes pulling taut.

She tossed the card onto the floor with a quiet thud. She wrapped her arms around herself, as if trying to physically contain the sudden chill that had permeated her bones. Her breath caught in her throat.

The scent of the lilies in the vase on the table, usually a source of joy, now felt cloying, suffocating. She sank onto the sofa, the plush cushions offering no comfort, only accentuating the emptiness she felt.