Gemotions

The afternoon sun streamed through the window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. Sarah sat on the floor, surrounded by stacks of books she'd inherited from her grandmother. She was cataloging them, a task that filled her days.

A folded postcard slipped out of a copy of *The Secret Garden*. It showed a picturesque cottage garden, filled with roses. On the back, a message penned in a delicate hand: "Remember the flowers. They bloom even in the hardest soil."

She felt a wave of sadness wash over her. Her grandmother had been everything to her. Now she was gone. She felt the weight of her absence. She looked at the picture. The garden was a reminder of resilience, of beauty, a beauty that felt distant from her current circumstances.

She held the postcard close, the scent of lavender clinging to it.