Gemotions

The drive felt longer than it should have. Evelyn kept her eyes on the road. The thought of that weeping willow, its branches like a green embrace, was the only thing that had drawn her back. She’d planted it with her mother.

She parked the car and stumbled out, feeling unsteady. Where the willow should have stood, there was an expanse of empty space. The shock was immediate.

She felt a hollowness in her chest, a physical ache. She stood there for a long time, not moving, not speaking, just staring. A single tear traced a path down her cheek, and she wiped it away quickly.