Gemotions

The letter, postmarked from a distant city, landed on her desk. Emma picked it up, her fingers tracing the unfamiliar handwriting. The apartment, her refuge for years, suddenly felt small, confining. She felt a tightness in her chest, a difficulty in breathing.

The letter offered an apology for a betrayal that had left a permanent scar. She had built her life around avoiding the possibility of it happening again, building walls, brick by brick. She felt the weight of it.

She closed her eyes, the memories flooding back, overwhelming her. Her breath hitched. The carefully cultivated peace of her existence seemed to shatter. It was too much.