Gemotions

The air was thick with the scent of pine and cinnamon from the holiday decorations, still up in her childhood home. Her birthday, the same day as Liam's, felt like a cruel joke of fate. The house felt too big, the silence echoing her unspoken sadness. She sat at the kitchen table, staring at a half-eaten plate of pancakes.

She got up and played the piano, the keys feeling heavy under her fingers. She stumbled through a song she and Liam used to sing together. She stopped halfway through, a wave of emotion overwhelming her. She felt a familiar pull towards the comfort of those shared moments.

She looked at an old photo album, carefully turning the brittle pages. The images of them, young and carefree, brought a fleeting smile to her lips.