Gemotions

The car keys felt heavy in her hand. She was going in. She felt the pressure in her chest as she walked up the familiar pathway. She was a different woman now, wiser, tempered by the world. It was a new phase for everyone.

Her father was waiting at the door. "We thought we'd lost you," he said, his voice unusually soft. She hugged him, holding onto him tightly. "Never," she whispered.

She'd start by cleaning. The kitchen needed a deep scrub. The garden was overgrown. She would be the gardener, the chef, the cleaner, and the supporter. The air shifted and became still. She could do this. She *had* to do this.