Gemotions

The key felt heavy in Iris’s hand. Her brother, Caleb, was already trying the front door, eager to get inside. She lingered on the porch, staring at the peeling paint, the overgrown bushes. The house loomed before her, silent and foreboding. The idea of this being their’s felt utterly unreal.

She remembered her grandmother, her sharp tongue, her guarded nature. This was kindness? This generous gift? The whole thing felt like a puzzle, a riddle wrapped in an enigma. She kept turning the key in her hand, as if trying to unlock a secret.

Inside, Caleb was whooping with joy. Iris took a deep breath, steeling herself. She expected to find hidden costs, legal battles, something that would tear them apart. She braced herself. She didn’t believe in luck.