Gemotions

The doorbell rang, a sharp, insistent sound that sliced through the quiet of Amelia’s afternoon. She flinched, almost knocking over the teacup on her side table. She peered through the peephole. A courier, holding a small package. Her pulse quickened. She opened the door, her voice a strained whisper as she signed the delivery slip.

She tore at the packaging, her fingers clumsy and frantic. A small, velvet box. Inside, a tarnished silver bracelet. Her breath caught in her throat. A card was tucked beneath the bracelet, its message a stark reminder of a past she had worked tirelessly to bury. She slammed the door, her hands shaking so violently she almost dropped the package.