Gemotions

The bus rattled along the familiar route. Maya stared out the window, watching the landscape blur past. She'd been looking forward to this, a trip to revisit her childhood. But the anticipation was swiftly turning to dread.

She got off the bus, her steps slow and reluctant. She dragged herself toward the park. She got there. She saw it. The space where the cherry tree had been, a space that was now empty. Her chest felt constricted, making it difficult to breathe.

Her eyes stung, but she refused to let the tears fall. She spun on her heel and walked away, her shoulders stiff, her pace quickening. She would never look at that space again.