Gemotions

The card was tucked beneath a bill and a flyer for a local pizza place. Sarah picked it up, her fingers tracing the generic floral design. Inside, a blank space where a signature should have been. A chill snaked up her spine, despite the late afternoon sun warming her back.

Her stomach churned. The absence of a name felt like a weight, pressing down on her chest. She crumpled the card, then smoothed it out again, her gaze fixated on the pristine white interior.

Later, she found herself staring at her phone, the contact details for her estranged sister swimming before her eyes. The urge to call, to apologize, was almost unbearable. But the words wouldn't come. She dropped the phone onto the couch, the silence echoing in the otherwise quiet apartment.