Gemotions

The speech was in her pocket, a carefully crafted masterpiece of sentiment and wit. But the words felt distant, unrelated. Her jaw ached with tension. Each time she caught someone's eye, she had to force a smile. It felt unnatural.

She'd spent weeks preparing, practicing in front of her cat, her plants, anything that wouldn't judge her. Now, facing the reality of the situation, she felt a strong urge to flee. The idea of public speaking was too much.

She took a deep breath, and tried to focus on her mother. Her radiant face, her tireless support. That was why she was doing this. She had to.