Gemotions

The dog whined, nudging her hand with his wet nose. She didn’t even acknowledge him, instead, she just kept staring out the window. The world outside, bathed in the soft glow of twilight, seemed impossibly cheerful.

She'd stumbled upon it while cleaning out her grandmother's things. A letter, its envelope stained with what looked like dried tears. The handwriting was instantly recognizable, a frantic script she’d seen a thousand times. It was addressed to her grandfather, a man she barely remembered.

She read it, and she could feel a tightening in her chest. The words, a plea for forgiveness and understanding, echoed the silence that had shrouded their family for decades. The letter's final words about how life could be better were the harshest of all.