Gemotions

The courtroom felt suffocating, filled with the hushed whispers of distant relatives. Across the room, her brother, Daniel, was beaming, shaking hands with lawyers and beneficiaries. His inheritance was the family’s lucrative publishing company, a decision that had surprised no one.

Her name was called. The will stated she would inherit their mother’s music collection, including a single, antique music box. The solicitor opened a small, ornately carved box, and a delicate melody drifted out. The tune, familiar yet distant, triggered a memory of childhood piano lessons, which had come to an abrupt end.

Daniel’s excitement felt forced to her, his smile too wide. Her fingers traced the carvings on the box. Everything felt brittle, like the music box itself. The solicitor’s words, "a significant collection", seemed disproportionate to the object. She felt a vague, unease as the lawyer gave her the box, promising her that it would bring her joy.