Gemotions

The kitchen tiles felt cold beneath her bare feet. She hated mornings like this, the house quiet except for the hum of the refrigerator. The breakfast she’d made sat untouched on the table. She wasn’t hungry.

She’d been clearing out old paperwork when she found it. A letter tucked inside a college acceptance packet, postmarked from the university she'd always wanted to attend but never did. It was addressed to her mother, full of youthful aspirations and dreams of independence.

She picked it up. Her hands shook slightly as she reread the words. A bitter taste coated her tongue, a flavor she couldn’t quite identify. The words, so full of hope, seemed to mock her current reality.