Gemotions

The afternoon sun, filtering through the lace curtains, cast long shadows across the room. Maria, surrounded by the remnants of her grandmother's life, felt a leaden weight in her chest. She was sifting through the photographs of a woman she'd always known to be devout, a woman who spent her days in prayer.

A photo surfaced of her grandmother, laughing with a group of friends, drinking what looked like wine. It wasn't the image that had been passed down from generation to generation. It seemed someone was having a good time.

Maria felt a strange tightening in her stomach, a feeling of unease she couldn’t place. She felt lost. She stood, as if suddenly aware that she had been holding her breath.