Gemotions

She stared at the phone in her hand, the screen reflecting her pale face. The discovery of her son, Alex's, secret account was like a punch to the gut. The carefully constructed image, a contrast to the cheerful kid she thought she knew, felt sharp.

Her breaths came in shallow gasps. She paced the living room, hands knotted behind her back. Anger warred with confusion, a bitter cocktail in her stomach.

She thought of the late nights he’d been on his phone, the hushed conversations. Now it made sense. He had a whole other existence she knew nothing about.