Gemotions

The card was thick, expensive stock, bearing a simple, elegant calligraphy "Happy Birthday". It sat amongst the bills and junk mail like a jewel. Amelia threw her arms wide, a burst of laughter escaping. The cherry blossoms in her garden seemed to blush pinker in response to her glee. She felt a lightness, a buoyancy she hadn't experienced in months. Years, maybe. She’d been working on a new sculpture, and the gallery showing felt impossibly distant just yesterday. Now, the weight of doubt seemed to lift from her shoulders.

She practically skipped into the kitchen, humming a jaunty tune. Sunlight poured through the window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. Time to celebrate. She decided to bake a cake, a ridiculously decadent chocolate one with extra frosting, just because she could. The world felt ripe with possibility.