Gemotions

The manuscript lay open on the kitchen counter, a careless mistake that had led Clara to its discovery. Her fingers trembled as she picked it up. This was about *them*. A fictionalized account, of course, but the core of the story was undeniably their life together.

A tingling sensation ran through her as she read of a tender moment shared, a memory amplified by her husband’s words. She caught her breath as she flipped to a different chapter, a scene where feelings were laid bare, where the unspoken was finally voiced. The world around her seemed to fade. She was only aware of the words, of the rising heat in her chest.

She went to the sink, splashed cold water on her face, and laughed a little, a sound that held a strange mix of incredulity and delight.