Gemotions

The phone call had ended, leaving Maria adrift in a sea of unfamiliar emotions. A half-sister, Olivia, the result of a long-ago relationship her mother had never discussed. She stood in the middle of her living room, the space suddenly feeling vast and empty.

She ran her hands over her arms, as though trying to ward off a chill. Her usual routines, the comfort she found in the familiar, were gone. She felt like a puzzle piece that had been forced into the wrong spot. She felt unsettled, everything seemed to be off-kilter.

She decided to make tea, the ritual always a comfort. But the kettle wouldn't boil, the water refusing to heat. She finally realized the stove wasn't working. It felt like another obstacle in a day filled with them. She needed to be alone. She went to her bedroom, and shut the door.