Gemotions

The heat of the day seemed to press down on her, making her skin feel clammy. She’d promised herself she’d start the gardening, but the task felt onerous. Instead, she found herself wandering aimlessly through the cluttered house, unable to find a single thing to satisfy her.

She happened upon a trunk in the spare room. Inside, she unearthed an assortment of faded photographs. Her uncle, a quiet, reserved man who rarely spoke of his youth, was caught in candid moments. She saw him smiling in a group of friends, all of them looking carefree and wild.

One photo depicted him, clearly drunk, wrapped in the arms of a woman. It was captioned, "The good old days." The narrative she had was one of dedicated service and honorable behavior. A strange tightening in her chest made her step back.