Gemotions

The chipped paint on the mailbox mirrored the state of her spirit. Rain had been falling for three days straight, a relentless drumming that had settled deep into her bones. She dragged herself to the curb, the dog pulling listlessly at the leash. Empty. Just bills and junk mail. Then, tucked beneath a flyer for a pizza place, a single, colorful birthday card. No name. She flipped it over, then again, examining the blank, cream-colored back. A pang, sharp and unwelcome, sliced through her. She crumpled the card and tossed it into the trash, the gesture a violent expulsion of something she couldn't quite name.