Gemotions

The bookstore was crammed with students, but Amelia felt utterly alone. Her essay, a story about learning to play the piano, was highlighted in bright yellow in the "Exemplary College Essays" section. She’d written it years ago, but the words felt like echoes, whispers from another life. She felt the familiar ghost of the piano keys beneath her fingertips.

She ran her hand over the textbook’s cover, trying to ignore the way the college students looked at the textbook, trying to memorize its insights. The current students were all on their own journeys. She felt a phantom sensation of the weight of the piano bench beneath her. The physical memory of the music, the hours of practice, resonated within her.

She had traded the piano for a demanding career, her fingers now typing on a keyboard, and not touching the black and white keys. The thought made her feel suddenly... empty. A sigh escaped her lips. Maybe one day she would go back to music.