Gemotions

"Remember that camping trip? God, that was hilarious!" Sarah laughed, her eyes sparkling. She was reliving the experience, the way they'd gotten lost, the close encounters with wildlife. The memory, for her, was coated in nostalgia.

Across the campfire, Emily stirred the embers. She remembered the trip quite differently. She recalled the fear of the dark woods, the responsibility of keeping them on the right path, the constant need to reassure Sarah, whose confidence faltered with the setting sun. Emily felt the weight of that responsibility again, a familiar pressure pressing down on her shoulders.

Emily glanced at the flames, at the way the fire crackled and danced. She felt a longing, a deep ache to be free, to be carefree and not be the one burdened with responsibility. She hated the way she could never truly enjoy anything.

"Yeah," she mumbled, her voice almost inaudible. She added, "Hilarious."