Gemotions

"Are you sure you want to do this, Mom?" Emily asked, her voice barely a whisper. Her mother just sighed, her face etched with a weariness Emily had never seen before. The car engine sputtered to life as they pulled away from the curb. The house, their house, stood forlorn in the rearview mirror.

Emily felt a pressure in her chest, a physical weight that made it hard to breathe. The familiar route home seemed different today, the trees along the road taller, the sky a vast and uncaring blue. Her mother started humming a tune, a deliberate attempt at normalcy. But the forced cheerfulness only made the lump in Emily's throat grow larger. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over.