Gemotions

The old house felt hollow, the echoes of laughter replaced by the persistent tick of the grandfather clock. She was seated at the kitchen table, the list spread out before her. She took a deep breath, the air tasting stale and heavy. A slight tremor ran through her hands. This was it.

*Plant a redwood tree.* The words felt impossibly big. Her mother had always been a lover of nature, a woman of big dreams. She felt a pressure in her chest, a sudden need to flee. She pushed the list away, then reached for it again. She had to do this.