Gemotions

“I don’t understand,” Maya murmured, tracing the faded ink of the letter with a trembling fingertip. Her mother, the paragon of strength, had resigned from her dream job, citing vague “personal reasons.” Now, she found the truth in the bottom of a dusty trunk.

The letter was clinical, cold. No emotion, no explanation. Just a polite farewell. This was the woman who had always insisted she could do anything.

She felt a hollowness in her chest. She had always believed in her mother's ability to conquer any challenge. The knowledge of her mother's resignation felt like a personal failure, as if her own potential had somehow been diminished. She folded the letter with a decisive snap, then shoved it back in the trunk. The truth was unwelcome.