Gemotions

"Are you alright, darling?" Amelia asked, her voice a little too loud in the normally serene bedroom. I hadn't realized I was staring at the list in my hand, my own copy that I had hidden inside a drawer. Her face, etched with concern, was a complete contrast to the casual handwriting on the paper. *Climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Go skydiving. Adopt a stray dog.*

I attempted a smile, but it felt brittle, unnatural. I cleared my throat, the dryness a physical manifestation of my discomfort. "Just… thinking," I managed, my voice strained. The list, unearthed during a bout of tidying, felt like a personal betrayal. She'd never mentioned any of this.

The room seemed to shrink, the air thick with unspoken things. I felt the familiar burn behind my eyes, the unwelcome prickling of tears. It felt like a lifetime had passed and I had missed something crucial.