Gemotions

The sunlight seemed to pierce right through her. Maya shielded her eyes, her hand trembling. The postman had been gone for hours, but the metallic smell of the mailbox still lingered.

The card felt strangely out of place. It was bright yellow, and its cheerful design mocked the exhaustion etched onto her face. Everything felt complicated.

“Who…?” she murmured, the question dissolving into the heavy, humid air. She barely had time to eat, let alone celebrate anything. The idea of acknowledging a birthday, any birthday, filled her with a profound sense of weariness.