Gemotions

The moment she sat down, the blood began to rush in her ears. Each individual word she'd planned to say was now gone, replaced by static. She found herself picking at the tablecloth, her fingers tracing the intricate patterns repeatedly. The festive music seemed to crescendo and then abruptly silence, leaving only the deafening roar in her head.

Her mother's proud smile felt like a weight, a burden of expectations. She needed to say the right things, to acknowledge everything, but she couldn't summon the words.

She imagined herself tripping on the way to the podium. Or, worse, completely forgetting her parents' names. She shut her eyes briefly, trying to regain control. This feeling was dreadful, suffocating.