Gemotions

The image of the house was a punch to the gut. She’d known this day was coming, but seeing the listing online, the price tag plastered across the front porch she used to swing from, it was different. She sucked in a sharp breath. Her stomach twisted, a cold knot forming.

She absentmindedly started tapping her foot against the hardwood floor, the rapid rhythm a frantic drumbeat in the quiet room. Her mind raced, replaying childhood memories, the echoes of laughter and arguments swirling through her head.

Picking up the phone, she started to dial her sister, then slammed it back down. No, she couldn’t talk about it yet. Not now. She needed a distraction, something to quiet the turmoil inside. She grabbed a cookbook and began flipping through pages, but the words blurred before her eyes.