Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows, mirroring the bleakness inside Finn’s soul. He sat at the kitchen table, the inheritance papers spread before him like a death sentence. His sister, Maya, was expected to arrive any moment. He wished she wouldn’t. The house felt huge, empty.

He found his portion first – a collection of his mother's journals. Leafing through them, he felt a strange intimacy, a connection to a woman he barely knew. Her thoughts, her fears, her hopes for the future, all laid bare. He traced the words, a pang of something akin to grief hitting him in the gut.

Maya arrived, her arms laden with shopping bags, her laughter filling the air. “Guess what I got, Finn? The beach house! Can you believe it? Sun, sand, and cocktails all summer long!” He nodded, trying to match her energy, but his throat felt thick. He closed his eyes, remembering his mother’s smile. He was the one who got her words.