Gemotions

The embossed card felt heavy in Eleanor's hand, like a brick. "You're Invited!" it proclaimed in ornate script. Her stomach clenched. Twenty years. Twenty years since she'd walked those hallowed halls, clutching textbooks, harboring dreams that had since withered. A single tear traced a path down her cheek, leaving a glistening trail on the expensive paper.

She crumpled the invitation, then smoothed it out, a nervous habit she hadn't managed to break. The memory of prom night, of feeling utterly alone even amidst a crowd of cheering classmates, flashed before her eyes. Now, they were all probably successful, with families and careers, while she... well, she was still trying to figure out what she'd done with her life.

The email pinged on her phone: "RSVP by July 1st." Eleanor sighed, the sound a thin wisp of air. She tossed the card onto the pile of unopened mail, a fortress of ignored obligations. Her reflection in the darkened window stared back, a woman she barely recognized anymore.