Gemotions

“No way,” Maya muttered, her voice tight. The email, with its terse subject line and even terser message, felt like a slap in the face. A party, a surprise party, for *her* birthday. Years she'd waited, hoping someone would acknowledge the anniversary of her birth with something more than a cursory text. Now, the carefully constructed fantasy of laughter and celebration crumbled into dust. She crumpled the paper in her hands, squeezing until her nails dug into her palms. A bitter laugh escaped her lips; the sound was sharp, almost a bark.