Gemotions

As soon as Carol saw the card, her expression darkened. Her lips pressed into a thin line. She carefully picked it up, as if it were a dangerous object. She wanted to hurl it back into the mailbox.

She brought it inside, but left the card on the counter. She couldn’t bring herself to open it. She began tidying the kitchen, scrubbing at the countertops with unusual vigour.

She replayed the past few weeks, searching for a transgression, for anything that might explain the card. She felt a knot forming in her stomach, a feeling of dread that wouldn't go away.