Gemotions

The mailbox clanged, the familiar metal on metal sound echoing in the quiet street. Olivia saw it—a plain white envelope amidst the junk mail. Her heart skipped a beat as she pulled it out, her fingers tracing the smooth, unadorned surface. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d received a handwritten card.

She sat on her porch swing, the wood groaning beneath her weight. The air was thick with the scent of honeysuckle, just like the summers of her youth. It filled her with an incredible sense of contentment.

She opened the card. Inside, a generic wish. Still, it made her smile. She pictured her parents, both gone now. She could almost feel her father's hand on her shoulder. Her eyes prickled, but she blinked away the tears.