Gemotions

The children's boisterous laughter outside seemed to amplify the internal quiet of Eleanor's mind. The crash, followed by a resounding silence, had pulled her from a reverie. She looked out the kitchen window and saw the massive section of the neighbor’s redwood tree now resting against the side of her own home.

A wave of something akin to despair washed over her. She knew what this meant: the inconvenience of it all, the phone calls, the insurance claims, the disruption. The sheer immensity of the task, the constant negotiations, the endless to-do lists. She gripped the edge of the counter, feeling the chill of the granite seep into her skin.

She watched the children play, and the thought of joining them felt impossible.