Gemotions

The old album smelled faintly of mothballs. Sarah carefully turned the brittle pages. Her mother, throughout her life, had painted a picture of herself as a solitary, independent woman. She'd always dismissed any suggestion that she needed anyone.

Then, she found the photos. Pictures of her mother smiling, cuddled on a beach with a man. She'd never mentioned him. There were images of a family together, a happy group, on holidays Sarah never knew about.

Sarah's breath hitched. She felt a burning sensation in her throat, a sudden dryness. Why had her mother pretended she didn’t need love or companionship? Sarah wanted to understand but now the world seemed even more alien than it already did.