Gemotions

The vibrant colors of the playground outside seemed aggressively cheerful. Her son's laughter was a discordant sound, grating on her nerves. She felt a knot forming in her stomach, a familiar sensation she’d learned to ignore.

Inside the cluttered closet, she unearthed a box of old mementos. Amongst them, a letter, addressed to her younger self from a very distant lover. She barely remembered him, and even more barely remembered the things she used to think and dream.

She read it, a wave of nausea washing over her. The letter was full of promises and declarations of love. Promises she couldn't keep. Declarations she didn't mean. She slammed the box shut, the clatter echoing in the confined space.