Gemotions

The silence pressed in on me, heavy and almost suffocating. My sister, Emma, was already complaining about the state of the bathroom. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

I stood in the entryway and just took in the house. The way the sunlight came through the windows. The details on the wooden bannister.

I walked into the kitchen and saw the old calendar with my grandmother's handwriting. Her recipes were written down on the first page. I carefully peeled it back. My eyes were burning, but it wasn't from the dust.