Gemotions

The silence of the library was almost deafening to Eleanor. In her lap lay the letter, addressed to her college professor, a man she had been in love with and who had, in turn, not returned her affections. The letter was a raw, unedited glimpse into her younger self's desperation, her naive hopes for a different outcome.

She pressed her thumb against her temple. Her heart hammered against her ribs. The words, so innocent yet so full of a longing, were an assault on her present, settled life.

She stood abruptly, the chair scraping against the floor. She wanted to scream. She turned the letter over and over in her hands, as if it were a fragile bird. She felt like throwing it against the wall, but instead, she quietly slipped it back into the book.