Gemotions

The dog's wet nose nudged her hand, but she didn’t react. Rain lashed against the window, mirroring the tempest brewing inside her. The biography, plastered on every newsstand, had reduced her life to a series of bullet points, a highlight reel devoid of the messy, complicated truth. Now, strangers offered condolences, their voices hushed, their eyes filled with a pity she couldn't stomach. She felt a profound weight, a crushing burden that stole the air from her lungs. She stared at the floor, fingers tracing the worn pattern of the rug, a futile attempt to ground herself.