Gemotions

The flickering candlelight danced across the aged paper as Eleanor read. The letter, penned in her youthful script, was addressed to her estranged daughter. The words held a plea for understanding, a clumsy attempt to express the love she had struggled to articulate.

She felt a hot flush creep up her neck as she read the familiar phrases. The years had passed, and the distance between them remained. The silence was deafening, a constant reminder of her failures.

She closed her eyes, imagining the younger version of herself, full of clumsy mistakes. A bitter taste lingered in her mouth. She should have done better. Now, the damage was irreversible.