Gemotions

The notice taped to the lobby door fluttered in the draft. It announced the building’s conversion to condominiums. Sarah’s shoulders dropped, a weight she hadn't realized she was carrying suddenly vanished. She grinned, a genuine, wide expression that reached her eyes.

She skipped up the stairs, humming a tuneless melody, something she hadn't done in months. The peeling paint of the banister, usually a source of minor annoyance, seemed less offensive. She threw open her apartment door, breathing deeply of the familiar air, now tinged with a delicious sense of freedom. No more sleepless nights worrying about the next rent hike.

Her phone buzzed, a text from her best friend. “Seen the news?” it read. Sarah typed back, “Finally! Let the games begin!”