Gemotions

The photograph, faded and creased, felt fragile in her grip. It showed her, younger, beaming, beside Professor Ito. The backdrop was the university's botanical gardens, where they'd spent countless hours discussing plant biology.

A bitter taste rose in her throat. She could almost feel the warm sun on her face, hear the rustle of leaves, the quiet murmur of their conversations.

The image felt like a relic, a fragment of a world that was fading. She closed her eyes, trying to conjure the scent of damp earth and blooming jasmine. It wasn’t the same.