Gemotions

The brightly colored fish tank sat in the corner, a silent mockery of her defeat. Clara stared at it, the water still and empty, the promise of vibrant life unrealized. She’d even picked out the fish food, a tiny, heart-shaped container resting on the counter.

Her face flushed with a hot embarrassment. She knew she'd pushed too hard, bombarded Daniel with articles and videos about the calming benefits of fish. She'd minimized his concerns about the extra workload, the cleaning, the potential for power outages.

She hadn't considered his feelings at all. She felt his absence deeply.

She now realized, she had become the unreasonable one, despite being the one usually making compromises.