Gemotions

The email announcing the cat adoption approval arrived at precisely 7:00 pm. David felt a jolt of alarm surge through him. The subject line, "Your Application Has Been Approved!", stared back at him from the screen. He quickly minimized the window.

He felt the familiar pressure in his chest. A cat? Living with them? He pictured the cat hair, the potential for allergies, the scratching of furniture, the disruption of his carefully scheduled work-from-home days. He took a deep, shaky breath, trying to regain his composure.

He glanced at Emily, who was humming cheerfully in the kitchen, already planning cat-friendly furniture. He wanted to say something, anything, to change the course of events. But the words caught in his throat. He felt frozen, unable to speak. The world tilted slightly.