Gemotions

It lay hidden inside a cookbook, a recipe for a cake never baked. “See a Broadway show.” “Learn to cook Italian food.” “Volunteer at a soup kitchen.” Olivia felt a sharp pang of something she couldn’t quite identify as she read the list. She had been staying in bed all day, every day.

She closed her eyes, trying to focus on something other than the crushing feeling of emptiness. She hadn’t seen the sunlight in a week. She felt a profound weariness, a deep ache in her bones.

She reread the list, each entry a reminder of dreams unfulfilled. She pulled herself out of bed, her limbs heavy. She opened the cookbook, and flipped to the recipe.