Gemotions

The doorbell chimed, a cheerful sound that felt wildly out of place. Amelia, already feeling a heaviness she couldn't explain, peered through the peephole to see a delivery man holding a bouquet of mixed wildflowers. No card. Her breath caught.

The weight in her chest intensified. Her career felt like a dead end, her relationships were distant, and her dreams were dusty relics of a forgotten self.

She carried the flowers into the living room, a room that mirrored the state of her heart: dim, unused. They sat on the mahogany table, mocking her with their vibrant life. She went back to bed.