Gemotions

The house was cold, the shadows lengthening in the late afternoon. She stared at the pile of photographs, each one a sharp jab to her sensibilities. The task felt monumental.

The picture in her hand showed her brother, the responsible, dependable son, arm-in-arm with a woman she’d never seen before, their faces flushed with laughter. The stories painted him as the perfect, reliable sibling, always on hand.

She sat down heavily in the worn armchair. Her eyelids felt heavy. The weight of it all was almost too much.