Gemotions

The listing blurred on the laptop screen. Sarah kept scrolling, pausing to stare at the photos of the house on Hemlock Street. The new landscaping, the freshly painted shutters – it all felt like a stranger's attempt to erase the memory of her childhood. Her chest tightened. A headache bloomed behind her eyes. She hadn't visited since she’d left for college, a lifetime ago. A sob lodged in her throat.

She clicked the “Schedule a Viewing” button, her hand trembling. The digital clock on the wall mocked her with its relentless ticking. Each number felt like a hammer blow against her resolve.

The walk-through was set for tomorrow morning. She needed to cancel it. She needed to forget she ever saw the listing. But the image of her father, beaming on the porch, his arm around her, kept flashing through her mind.