Gemotions

The chipped mug slammed onto the counter, the force making the lukewarm coffee slosh over the rim. "More coffee," she barked at her mother, who was meticulously arranging a bowl of fruit on the kitchen table. Her mother, without looking up, simply sighed, her shoulders slumping just slightly.

She knew she shouldn’t have said it like that. The knot of tension in her stomach tightened. She grabbed a banana, peeling it with exaggerated slowness, each movement deliberate and precise.

Later, she found herself in her childhood bedroom, kicking off her shoes and letting them lie askew on the faded floral rug. The room felt smaller now, the walls closing in. A wave of frustration washed over her, a hot flush spreading across her chest.