Gemotions

The salt air filled Sarah's lungs as she strolled along the beach, her toes sinking into the cool sand. The rhythmic crashing of the waves was a constant, soothing presence. She hummed a tuneless melody, the melody lost in the sounds of the beach. Her hands were clasped behind her back, her posture open and easy. She watched a group of seagulls swooping and diving in the distance.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. It was a picture message from her best friend, Emily. A picture of a packed moving van and the words “California, here I come!” Sarah’s breath hitched. The beach suddenly felt too vast, too empty. She felt a hollow ache.