Gemotions

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the overgrown garden. She sat on a rusted bench, the unfinished letter to her deceased husband trembling in her grasp. The scent of damp earth and decaying leaves filled the air, a familiar aroma that usually brought her solace, but today was different. A crow cawed overhead, its harsh cry making her jump. Her stomach churned. The words she’d written years ago, expressing her deepest fears and insecurities, now felt like a confession. She could barely breathe, a constricted feeling in her chest. She crumpled the paper in her fist, then quickly smoothed it out again.