Gemotions

"Morning, Mrs. Davis!" The cheerful greeting from Mr. Abernathy, her neighbor, felt forced. He was always so polite, so friendly. Lately, though, his greetings felt hollow. He'd just bought a new home. He smiled too much, and the lines around his eyes didn’t crinkle.

She returned the greeting. She felt it, too, was strained. She returned to her silent home. She watched him pull away in his new car, the roar of the engine a reminder of everything she was not.

She closed the blinds, shutting out the sunlight. The sudden darkness intensified the feeling of emptiness that had been slowly consuming her.