Gemotions

The list was tucked inside a forgotten address book. Maria, her shoulders slumped, flipped through the brittle pages. ‘Start a business.’ ‘Learn a new language.’ ‘Find a partner.’ Her mother, who had always seemed so pragmatic, had concealed these hopes.

Maria felt a familiar pressure in her chest. The task of going through her mother's belongings, of sorting through a life, was a burden she could barely bear. She pushed the address book away, and walked to the kitchen, where she found the stove needed cleaning.