Gemotions

The humid air of the solicitor's office pressed against Elara’s skin, each breath a conscious effort. She slouched in the hard-backed chair, the floral wallpaper blurring around the edges of her vision. Her brother, Leo, fidgeted beside her, but she couldn't muster the energy to tell him to stop. She just wanted it to be over.

The solicitor, a thin man with a perpetually apologetic expression, cleared his throat. "As you are aware, your late aunt left a… unique will."

Elara barely registered the words. She traced a finger along the worn armrest, feeling the grooves of the wood beneath her fingertips. Leo leaned forward, eyes gleaming with a mixture of excitement and apprehension.

“Your aunt, bless her soul, left a collection of antique buttons to Mr. Leo, with the request that he make a button collection,” the solicitor stated. “And she left a large sum of money to the creation of a garden in your name, Elara.”