Gemotions

The envelope, addressed in her grandmother's looping script, felt fragile in Amelia's hands. Inside, a single sheet of paper. "Bucket List," it announced. Her grandmother's life had seemed so complete. Retirement, travel, a loving family. But the list showed a different side. "Learn to speak Italian." "Write a book." "Dance in the rain."

Amelia’s stomach lurched. She’d always been too busy, too wrapped up in her own ambitions, to truly listen. She’d believed her grandmother was content. She'd been blind.

She threw herself into her grandmother's favorite armchair, burying her face in the floral cushions. The scent of lavender and old books filled the air, a constant reminder of the woman she’d taken for granted. She wished she had known her better.