Gemotions

“Another one?” her daughter asked, her voice tinged with a blend of concern and something else, maybe annoyance. Her mother had barely glanced at the letter, her gaze fixed on the television screen, where a game show blared. She hadn't even unfolded it. She just held the envelope, turning it over and over in her hands, as if it was a smooth, comforting stone. Twenty-five years. The daughter sighed softly. "Are you going to read it?" Her mother gave a small, almost imperceptible shake of her head. The flashing lights on the screen reflected in her eyes, dull and flat.