Gemotions

The attic stairs groaned beneath Clara's feet. She pulled open the dusty box, eyes scanning the contents with a gathering storm. A picture of her grandmother with a man, not her grandfather. And not just any man, but one who was reputed to have been a notorious gambler.

Her breath hitched. This was a scandal! The endless stories of her grandmother's dedicated love, her steadfast loyalty, were suddenly… hollow. All those Christmas dinners, all those tearful recitations of her grandmother's ‘perfect’ marriage suddenly felt like a carefully constructed play.

She felt a wave of anger wash over her. They had always treated her grandfather with such reverence, as though he were a saint. What had she, Clara, been missing? She slammed the box shut, the force of the action startling her. She was going to confront her mother, now. The silence of the house seemed to press down on her.