Gemotions

The photograph, grainy and faded, lay on the worn wooden table between them. James gestured at it, a polite smile on his face, asking if *she* knew who it was. The picture was of them, two children grinning at the camera, their faces smeared with mud. Evelyn could feel her cheeks burn. It was a picture she’d kept close to her heart, the embodiment of their shared past. She swallowed hard, struggling to keep her voice steady. He hadn't even recognized his own handwriting on the back. A wave of heat washed over her, and she pushed the photo away, the action abrupt and dismissive.