Gemotions

The mailbox yawned open, revealing its disappointing contents. A bill. A flyer. An unsigned birthday card. She picked it up, her fingers tracing the generic illustration. A wave of desolation washed over her.

She went back inside and slammed the door, the sound echoing through the empty rooms. The scent of the flowers that she’d bought herself a few days prior was now cloying. She didn't want the smell of something so cheery. She wanted something else.

The house felt like a cage, the walls closing in. She sat on the floor, hugging her knees, a silent monument to loneliness. The card lay forgotten on the counter.