Gemotions

The dog, a Jack Russell terrier, smaller than the last, was a persistent nuisance. It wriggled under the fence, ignoring Mrs. Gable's irritated shouts. She felt a familiar hollowness in her chest.

She stood in her kitchen, gazing out the window, watching the dog circle her bird feeder. A shiver ran down her spine. The silence of her house, usually a comfort, felt oppressive now, magnifying the absence.

She pressed her hand to the glass, a barrier that seemed suddenly thin, inadequate. The terrier paused, its beady eyes meeting hers.