Gemotions

The meticulously planned playlist, the carefully chosen venue, the perfectly coordinated outfits – it was all too much. Chloe's jaw was tight. She'd been practicing her speech, and each time she read it the more her mood darkened.

The endless stream of platitudes and well-wishes felt… hollow. She found herself picking at her fingernails, the nervous habit a visible manifestation of her internal state.

As the speeches began, she felt a tightening in her chest. She watched her mother, glowing with happiness, and a strange pressure built inside her. The words felt like a cage she was trapped in.