Gemotions

The familiar street address, the house itself, stared back at her from the laptop screen. A tremor ran through her. The listing felt like a cruel joke, a reminder of all she’d lost. She couldn't breathe properly.

She tried to rationalize her feelings, to tell herself it was just a house, a building. But the images, the carefully curated photographs, triggered a flood of memories she’d tried to suppress. Her hands shook.

She closed her eyes, trying to regain control. The silence of her apartment amplified the racing beat of her heart. She wrapped her arms around herself, as if trying to shield herself from an unseen enemy.