Gemotions

Sunlight streamed through the car window, kissing Elara's face as she pulled into the driveway. She practically bounced out, a spring in her step that had her reaching for the familiar front door handle before her husband, Michael, could even unbuckle his seatbelt. Her heart hammered against her ribs, a happy drumbeat anticipating the coming hours. She’d been gone for so long, and yet, the faded blue paint of the house, the crooked rose bushes along the walkway, felt achingly familiar, like a comfortable old sweater.

She took a deep breath, filling her lungs with the scent of earth and something else, something undefinable, that smelled like childhood and summer. "Ready to say goodbye, love?" Michael asked, his voice soft, but Elara just grinned, shaking her head. "Ready to remember."

Inside, dust motes danced in the light. She touched a chipped ceramic goose on the mantle, its wobbly stance reminding her of her own clumsy youth. Everything was alive with potential, a thousand stories waiting to be re-told, a tapestry of memories she couldn't wait to unravel.