Gemotions

The morning sun streamed through the kitchen window, warming Amelia's face as she whisked eggs. A wide smile played on her lips. She hummed a jaunty tune, a little off-key, but utterly unconcerned. The clatter of her movements was a cheerful symphony in the otherwise quiet house. Today, after weeks of dithering, she would finally make the big announcement. She'd been practicing the words, the tone, for days.

The smell of coffee and sizzling bacon filled the air. She poured herself a glass of orange juice and gulped it down, the tartness hitting her like a jolt. This felt right, this sense of buoyant preparedness. She couldn't stop the happy twitch in her fingertips as she finished setting the table.

She heard the shuffle of feet upstairs. Good. Time was ticking. She took a deep breath, the air filling her with an almost electric energy.