Gemotions

The cardboard boxes sat gathering dust in the hallway, monuments to a life dismantled. Sarah dragged herself to the kitchen, the weight of the day settling in her bones. She poured a cup of coffee, the steam a fleeting warmth against her chilled skin. Her mother was already humming, a relentless, cheerful energy that felt alien. "Honey, did you see the flyers for the community garden? Think you'll sign up?" Sarah just nodded, her jaw tight. The clatter of the breakfast dishes felt like a cacophony, a constant assault on her senses.