Gemotions

The list crackled in Emily's trembling hands. Her mother, so practical, so grounded, had wanted to *climb Mount Kilimanjaro*? *See the Taj Mahal?* The words blurred before her eyes. The room, her childhood bedroom, suddenly seemed alien, unfamiliar.

She sank onto the bed, the mattress sagging beneath her. The air felt thin, difficult to breathe. She hadn't known her mother had a secret, a vibrant inner life she'd kept hidden.

She reached out and touched the worn teddy bear on her nightstand, a comfort from a lifetime ago. A sob caught in her throat. Her mother had never spoken of these things. Never.