Gemotions

The box smelled of lavender and old perfume. Sarah pulled out the letter, carefully, her heart pounding a dull rhythm against her ribs. Her grandmother’s handwriting, so neat, so precise, filled the page. She'd known her as a formidable woman, a force of nature, but the letter revealed a different facet. A woman battling loneliness, wrestling with a life she couldn't control.

The words, even decades old, still resonated. A sense of aching pity filled Sarah. It made her see the other side of her.

The letter was a treasure. She folded it carefully, tucked it into the pocket of her sweater, and closed her eyes, trying to conjure the scent of her grandmother's garden, now just a faded memory.