Gemotions

The old album crinkled under Emily's fingers. A photo of her parents, young and carefree, on a sailboat. Her parents, who had always stressed the hardships of their youth, the financial struggles they had endured.

The sailboat, gleaming in the sunlight, the expensive clothes, the smiles on their faces – it was all a blatant contradiction. The stories about penny-pinching and sacrifice didn't match the image.

Her jaw clenched, the muscles in her neck tightening. She felt a burning sensation in her chest. All of the lessons she had learned about their lives felt as if they were built upon a falsehood. She slammed the album shut. She would speak to her parents, and the questions would start with that boat.