Gemotions

"The summer we tried to learn to surf?" Maya reminisced, leaning back against the sun-drenched pier. Her face was animated, her tone light and airy. "It was epic, right? Just wiping out, laughing..."

Olivia winced, the memory a physical ache. She'd been a nervous wreck that summer, terrified of the waves. She recalled clinging to her board, watching Maya charge ahead, effortlessly riding the swells. Maya was a natural, a force of nature. Olivia remembered the feeling of being left behind, bobbing in the water, swallowed by fear.

She kept her gaze fixed on the water, avoiding eye contact. The sun was hot on her skin, but she felt a chill. The sea breeze whipped her hair across her face, a constant reminder of the chaos she struggled to control.

"Yeah," she finally managed, forcing a smile. "Epic." The word tasted like ash in her mouth. She wished she had never been.