Gemotions

The letter arrived in the mail, crisp and officious. "The Old Willow Tea Room will be permanently closing… thank you for your patronage…" She crumpled the paper in her hand. *Patronage?* She was practically family! She had been going to that tea room since she was a child. The delicate china, the fragrant teas, the scones she had loved.

She sat on her favorite armchair, her hands now balled into fists. The room felt suddenly cold, the sun that had been streaming through the window seeming to lose its warmth. She imagined the new owners, whoever they would be, destroying her memories. A shudder ran through her.