Gemotions

The listing appeared on her screen like a physical blow. Her childhood home. The place where so much had happened. So much good, so much bad.

Her heart hammered against her ribs as she navigated the virtual tour. The living room, where they had celebrated birthdays and holidays, was now a sterile showpiece. The kitchen, where she’d learned to cook with her grandmother, was remodeled and unfamiliar.

She wanted to laugh, to cry, to smash something. She gripped the edge of the desk, her knuckles white. A strange hollowness opened in her chest. She needed air, needed to be somewhere, anywhere, else.