Gemotions

The elevator doors opened onto a scene of hushed whispers and tense smiles. Her hand instinctively flew to her necklace, tracing the familiar curve of the pendant. Everyone seemed to know something she didn’t. Inside her apartment, she felt a sudden chill, despite the warm spring air drifting through the open window.

“Condo, huh?” her neighbor, Mrs. Rodriguez, called out, her voice unusually subdued. Maria forced a smile, but her throat felt constricted. The thought of moving, of leaving behind the familiar creaks of the floorboards and the comforting view of the fire escape, was a hard thing to take.

She spent the evening staring at the ceiling, unable to find comfort. She considered her finances, running the numbers over and over, all of them in the red. The familiar rhythm of the city seemed off-beat, the sounds of traffic too loud. She felt a hollowness in her chest.