Gemotions

The hum of the refrigerator was the loudest sound in the apartment. Maria sighed. The apartment felt oppressively quiet. She had cleaned, cooked, and organized everything she could think of. She’d even tried to read, but the words blurred into meaningless symbols. The world outside felt distant, and her own life felt dull, a flat expanse with no horizons.

She’d spent the morning staring out the window, watching the leaves fall. Then she saw the post on Facebook: "Local Therapist Announces New Practice." It was from someone she knew vaguely. She felt a twitch of something as she clicked the profile, and saw it was John, the kid who once pushed her down in gym class. His profile picture showed him smiling.

She felt a flicker of curiosity, or maybe even… something else. She scrolled through his website.