Gemotions

The silence in the library was deafening. Isabelle ran a trembling finger across the brittle surface of the photo. She felt a throbbing ache in her temples, a dull pressure that wouldn't let up. The family Thanksgiving was only days away.

Her Great-Aunt, the eccentric spinster, had always been portrayed as a woman who had never known love. The photos, a veritable treasure trove, told a different tale.

A series of snapshots showed her laughing, dancing, and in the arms of a man. A man who looked like he adored her. Isabelle’s carefully constructed world felt unstable, prone to collapse.