Gemotions

The salt stung her eyes as she scrubbed at the counter, the same motion she'd been repeating for hours. The cafe was empty, the late afternoon sun casting long, skeletal shadows across the tables. She felt disconnected, as though she were watching herself from outside her own body. A new letter. From him. She never thought she would see his name again. The paper crinkled in her hand. She stared, unblinking, at the words, the familiar looping script a stark reminder of a chasm that time had failed to heal. Her back ached, a tight knot between her shoulder blades that refused to loosen.