Gemotions

The list, typed on a faded typewriter, was clipped to a recipe for apple pie. *Write a novel.* Emily felt a jolt. Her mother had always been a voracious reader, but she had never known she dreamt of writing herself. She remembered all the arguments, all the disagreements. She had been so selfish.

She started writing. It was a struggle. The words felt clumsy, the plot clunky. She pushed through the self-doubt, fueled by a desire to honor her mother’s unspoken ambition. She felt her mother's presence with every typed word, with every failed attempt. The pages she created were a testament to her regrets.