Gemotions

A chill snaked up Clara’s spine as she scrolled through the listings. There it was: 14 Willow Creek Lane. The house, her house, her *childhood* house. She hadn't visited in years, not since… well, not since everything. Her breath hitched. The photos showed a freshly painted porch swing, a garden overflowing with lavender, and the interior, though familiar, seemed alien.

Her fingers trembled as she clicked the “Request a Viewing” button. Why was she doing this? It wasn’t as if she could afford it. The emptiness in her chest deepened with each passing second, a hollowness that seemed to echo the empty rooms in those glossy real estate photos.

She slammed her laptop shut, a sudden, sharp action. The silence of her own apartment felt suffocating, a stark contrast to the bright, cheerful facade the listing presented. She felt the sudden, crushing weight of loneliness.