Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows as Amelia retrieved the mail. She sifted through the bills and flyers, her fingers pausing on a brightly colored envelope. It was a birthday card, but there was no name on the front or the back. A wave of warmth spread through her chest. She carefully unfolded the card, the paper thin and cheap. Inside, a generic message was written in careful block letters: “Happy Birthday!”

She wondered who it could be from. She looked out at her neighbors' houses. An elderly woman, Mrs. Gable, always had a thoughtful look on her face. Perhaps it was from her. She imagined the woman struggling to find words to write in a card, so settled on a generic one. Amelia decided to bake a cake and bring it over.