Gemotions

The tiny, cramped bedroom felt suddenly too small, the walls closing in. She’d spent hours yesterday meticulously recreating the account, faking the age, the interests. Now, scrolling through the feed, the pictures of her son surrounded by friends, laughing at inside jokes, it felt utterly pointless, hollow.

She’d thought she’d find something concrete, some illicit activity, some danger to protect him from. Instead, she just found a life she wasn’t a part of. The realization hit her like a physical blow. She'd been so preoccupied, so focused on control, that she’d lost sight of the person her son was becoming.

The breath caught in her throat. She sank to the floor, her back against the cool wall. A wave of regret washed over her, a deep and bitter current. This wasn't working. It never had. She let the tears come.