Gemotions

The discovery struck Emily like a punch to the gut. Her mother, usually so disorganized, so scatterbrained, had meticulously cataloged every scrap of her childhood. The sheer scale of it was staggering. Reams of paper, neatly filed and archived, like a bizarre monument to her existence.

She pulled out a science project from fifth grade. It was crude, childish, and she remembered being mortified when her mother had insisted on "helping". Seeing it now, with the meticulous corrections, the carefully written notes, it felt like a violation. A deep, unpleasant sensation welled up in her.

She closed her eyes, the image of her mother’s proud face filling her mind. She opened them again, the anger burning in them.