Gemotions

"So, you’re saying…" Eleanor began, her voice carefully controlled, "you want to dig up *my* backyard?" The words, meant to sound casual, came out sharper than she intended. She felt a knot forming in her stomach.

She eyed Mrs. Chen, who had a persistent smile and a never-ending supply of baked goods. The woman stood before her, offering a proposition about a shared vegetable garden. A shared garden meant shared chores. Shared smells. Eleanor didn't share.

"Well, yes, if you don't mind," Mrs. Chen replied, her smile still intact. Eleanor could feel a vein throbbing in her forehead. She considered the neat rows, the organized order she had cultivated. It was her sanctuary.

"I'll have to think about it," she said, her tone deliberately vague. "It's… a big commitment." The wind rustled the leaves, a sound that seemed to mock her.