Gemotions

The envelope dropped from Maya’s limp fingers and scattered across the kitchen tiles. Her breath hitched. The air felt thin and difficult to manage. She stood perfectly still, as if frozen in time. The familiar scent of her own cooking, usually comforting, now turned her stomach.

The world seemed to tilt on its axis. Her hands began to tremble and a cold sweat erupted over her skin. She had built a life here, curated her space with so much care. Now, it was… gone. The thought came out of nowhere, but was terrifying.

She fumbled for the edge of the kitchen counter to steady herself, her knuckles turning white. Her gaze fell on her son’s drawing pinned to the refrigerator. The stick figures now seemed to mock her.