Gemotions

The doorbell rang, a sharp, insistent sound that made her jump. "Mr. Silas Blackwood," the delivery person announced, shoving the package towards her. She hadn't expected anything. Silas Blackwood had been gone for a year. Her jaw was tight.

She retreated inside, the weight of the box pressing against her arms. She dropped it on the kitchen table, the wood groaning under the impact. Her stomach churned. She felt as though something heavy had settled in her chest.

She tore at the tape, her nails tearing and ragged. Inside, wrapped in brown paper, was a framed photograph. An old man, smiling, his eyes crinkled at the corners. The old man was Silas Blackwood.