Gemotions

The kitchen, sparkling new, was unrecognizable. Her breath caught in her throat. This was the place where she'd learned to bake cookies with her grandmother, the place where countless family meals had been shared.

The listing detailed the modern appliances, the granite countertops. The words felt hollow, lacking the genuine feeling of the past. She felt a sudden need to leave the house, the apartment walls pressing in around her.

She rose from the chair, a slow, deliberate movement. She was exhausted, drained. She went to the window, watching the streetlights blur in the distance, a dull ache in her chest.