Gemotions

The photograph, sent with the letter, lay face up on the table. A smiling face, a reminder of the carefree days *before*. Her stomach churned. It felt like someone had punched her, leaving her gasping for air. Her hands trembled.

She poured a glass of water, the ice clinking against the sides. The water did nothing to soothe the burning in her chest. She wanted to scream, to shatter something. The fragile silence of the room was suffocating.

She ripped the photo in half, then again, and again, until the pieces were scattered across the table.