Gemotions

The carnations arrived in a plain brown box, the florist having simply delivered them. They were the same shade of pink as her childhood bedroom, a colour that now felt alien.

She kept the box on the kitchen counter, afraid to open it. It was the afternoon after the phone call, and her world seemed to have changed forever. She felt her chest tighten. The quiet in the house now felt unbearable.

Finally, she pulled the flaps open and stared at the flowers. She carefully took one out and then quickly put it back. She began to cry, and then she didn't want to stop.