Gemotions

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the living room as Eleanor, perched on the edge of the sofa, examined the photos she had found. Her mother, Beatrice, had always presented herself as a woman who had struggled her entire life to make ends meet, never allowing herself joy. The stories were of poverty and scarcity, the constant battle for survival.

The album depicted a different reality. There were pictures of Beatrice dressed in elegant clothes, laughing at a party with a group of friends. There was a photo of her at a horse race, looking radiant. A lump formed in Eleanor's throat. She blinked, trying to clear her vision. The stories of struggle were there, of course, but so was a vibrant inner life, a secret world of gaiety her mother had hidden away.