Gemotions

The email arrived mid-afternoon, a stark white rectangle in the blue sea of her inbox. "Regarding Your Property" read the subject line. Chloe winced. She’d been enjoying a glorious afternoon, lounging on the patio, the sun warm on her skin.

She knew, deep down, she should open the email. Her lawyer had been rather insistent that she read any documents related to the purchase. The realtor, too, had mentioned something about disclosure. But the thought of paperwork, of reading, of *thinking*, was profoundly unappealing. She took another sip of her iced tea.

The email remained unopened. She glanced at the old oak tree casting shade on the lawn. A project for another day, maybe, she thought, to have the tree looked at. Right now, the shade was perfect, the silence divine.