Gemotions

The first thing Eleanor noticed was the lack of a return address. She flipped the card over and over. That was almost worse than the fact it had even been sent. Someone, somewhere, remembered her birthday. She wanted to hurl it back out the window. She almost did.

She sat heavily in her armchair, the plush fabric failing to soothe the turmoil within. She felt the sudden urge to clean, to scrub away the lingering scent of something she couldn’t name. She moved to the kitchen and stared at the dusty countertops.

She should probably call her sister. She would probably say the right things. The thought made her feel even more unsettled.