Gemotions

The spotlights felt like a furnace on Eleanor’s face. She fumbled with the clasp of her clutch bag, her fingers clumsy and unresponsive. The room was a blur of faces, all turned toward her. She felt like an actor on a stage, but with no script. She caught her brother’s eye and offered a wan smile, but he just raised an eyebrow in response. This was supposed to be a celebration, but it felt like a test, an assessment she was woefully unprepared for. The words seemed to have vanished, and a creeping sense of panic rose within her.