Gemotions

The notification glowed in the dim light of her bedroom, a neon-lit accusation. "Michael Davies." Her teeth clenched, the name a trigger, a sonic grenade of memory. She hadn’t thought about him in years, but here he was, demanding access to her digital life.

She moved her mouse over his profile, her hand shaking slightly. The picture showed a paunchy man in a polo shirt, posing with his children. The image filled her with a profound sense of disgust. She felt a burning sensation in her chest.

She imagined his motives, the superficial desire to erase the past, to pretend that everything was okay. It was a presumption that she found intolerable. She saw a weak man, desperately seeking redemption.

She considered every option. A carefully crafted rejection? A public shaming? A swift block, followed by the erasure of any memory of him? Her fingers trembled as she pondered the response.

She leaned back in her chair, the light of the screen reflecting in her eyes. The ache was still there.