Gemotions

"Why?" Eleanor muttered, staring at the list. Her mother had lived a life of quiet contentment, and the vibrant aspirations now seemed almost cruel. *Take a pottery class. Go whale watching. Learn to ballroom dance*. Eleanor felt the familiar tightening in her throat.

She paced the living room, the polished floorboards cool beneath her bare feet. The house felt too quiet, too empty. The phone rang, a jarring sound. It was her sister, asking about the funeral arrangements.

Eleanor swallowed hard, her vision blurring. She needed to be strong, for everyone. But the weight of it all was crushing.