Gemotions

The phone call from Cousin Beatrice was abrupt. "I’m putting the dolls up for sale. They’re just gathering dust, you know?" The dolls, each with a history, each a whispered memory of her great-aunt, now to be discarded.

The room around Emily seemed to shrink. Her breathing became shallow and fast. She had spent countless hours as a child, listening to her great-aunt tell stories of each doll's journey. Now, they were merely commodities.

“But Beatrice, the dolls…" Emily started, her voice cracking. Beatrice cut her off with a brisk, “Business is business.” Emily could feel a coldness spreading through her limbs.