Gemotions

The photograph, faded with age, sat on the mantelpiece, a reminder of a simpler time. Sarah had always kept it. Now, staring across the crowded restaurant at the woman across the table, she saw the reality and felt a strange disconnect. "Jessica, is it?"

"Yes, that's right," the woman said, her voice a pleasant, melodic tone. She looked at Sarah with a warm smile. "But I don't recall a Sarah."

Sarah leaned forward, her hands coming up to cover her face. She closed her eyes. It seemed unreal. How could Jessica not know her? "But… the sandcastles? The seashell necklace? The broken swing?" Her voice cracked.

Jessica frowned. She paused before speaking again. "I can't say I do." She paused, her gaze shifting to the window.

Sarah felt as if she had been plunged into ice water. The air seemed to have been sucked out of the room. She was adrift, a ghost in her own memories, and the Jessica in front of her was an utterly different person. She found herself staring out of the window as well, searching for some answer.