Gemotions

"Oh, for goodness sake," Maggie muttered, swatting away a cobweb. She was sorting through her mother's belongings, a task she had been postponing for far too long. She opened a cedar chest and lifted a stack of old photo albums. Underneath them she found an envelope, the paper thin and yellowed. The contents: a letter addressed to the headmistress of her mother's school. "Resignation - Teaching Position."

Maggie let out a sharp gasp. Her mother had adored teaching. She had always glowed when she spoke about her students, how could she have left? Maggie sank to the floor, her heart hammering against her ribs. The letter cited reasons, vague but loaded with implied sadness. The world tilted slightly as she reread the phrases of grief.