Gemotions

Margaret slammed the antique desk drawer shut, the wood rattling in protest. She hadn't found the photograph she was looking for, just a stack of yellowed papers tied with a faded ribbon. One envelope, addressed in a familiar looping script, caught her eye. It was to her mother, from… her? She flipped it over, the seal still intact. Her fingers fairly itched to open it.

A tremor went through her as she ripped the envelope. The paper felt brittle and thin. Inside, a single page lay, the ink a faded violet. "Dearest Mother," it began. She skimmed the words, a knot tightening in her stomach. Why had she never sent this? The regrets, the longings… a wave of heat washed over her.