Gemotions

The musty smell of the storage unit hit her like a punch. Her mother’s letter, brittle with age, lay in her hand. "... a heavy heart…” The words seemed to mock her. Her breath hitched. Her mother, the woman who had always seemed so strong. What had broken her?

She gripped the letter, her knuckles turning white. She spun around, taking in the rows of stacked boxes, the shadows playing in the dim light. She began pulling boxes down, throwing their contents onto the floor. Pictures, mementos, and a box of old tapes.

She sank to the floor, surrounded by her mother's belongings. She felt a sob catch in her throat, her chest aching. She tore open a box of family photos, her hands shaking. She needed answers. She needed them now. The need burned inside her.