Gemotions

The lawyer droned on. "And finally, to Miss Emily, the family library and its contents." Emily, for her part, felt a wave of… something that settled deep in her core. Her brother, Leo, received their late father's vineyard, a sprawling estate nestled in the Tuscan hills.

The library was a trove of knowledge, yes, but it felt silent and static. She'd known Leo would get the vineyard. She’d always known, and still... She wanted the sunshine, the freedom, the rich aroma of the grapes.

Leo, tanned and beaming, clapped her on the shoulder. "Come visit! We can drink some wine and you can read all day!" His voice held a note of genuine warmth, but it only seemed to amplify the hollow ache inside her.

Emily nodded and smiled, trying to mirror the enthusiasm that danced in her brother’s eyes. She wondered how long it would take for the dust in the books to settle in her lungs.