Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows of the solicitor's office, mirroring the turmoil in Elara's stomach. Her brother, Leo, beamed across the mahogany desk, already mentally spending their inheritance. A gleaming sports car, a penthouse apartment, the usual delusions. Elara felt a pang of something akin to pity for him.

She listened as the solicitor, a man whose face seemed permanently etched with disapproval, explained the terms of their grandmother’s will. Leo was to receive a substantial sum of money. Elara… a collection of her grandmother's handwritten journals and a small, overgrown cottage in the countryside.

Leo practically vibrated with excitement, already texting friends. Elara felt the weight of the journals in her lap, imagining the stories they held. The cottage, she knew, was where her grandmother had found solace after losing her husband. Her own shoulders slumped slightly. The old woman's favourite tea cup sat on the desk.

"You alright, sis?" Leo asked, his voice dripping with condescension. He didn't understand. She gave him a weak smile, wishing he could see past the cash.