Gemotions

The list was tucked inside a book of poetry. "Write poetry." "Live in a cottage by the sea." "Love fiercely." The words blurred before Sarah’s eyes, each word a condemnation. The list belonged to Mark, her husband. The cottage by the sea… they lived in a city apartment.

She closed the book, her hands trembling. She felt a profound sense of loss, a grief for something she couldn't quite name. She walked through the apartment, each room now feeling foreign and hollow. Her movements were jerky, uncertain.

The city sounds, the sirens and the traffic, seemed to amplify her inner turmoil. She picked up a framed photograph of them, smiling and happy, and slammed it down on the table, the glass shattering. Her heart felt as though it was breaking in two.