Gemotions

The letter arrived on a Tuesday, bearing the news she had always dreaded. Another relationship. Another child. Her mother, already gone, her secret unveiled. The letter felt heavy, like a lead weight in her hand.

She started locking her doors throughout the day, not just at night. She double-checked the locks, triple-checked them. She would sit for hours staring out her window, watching the street. When her neighbor would enter his house, she would watch.

She tried calling her half-sibling, hoping to establish a dialogue, but the phone call ended quickly. She was left alone in her apartment. Every noise, every shadow, felt like a threat. Her heart raced, her mind a tangle of anxieties.