Gemotions

The phone receiver slipped in Emily's sweaty palm. The tree had fallen – right across the garden, crushing the swing set her daughter had adored. The insurance adjuster, a disembodied voice on the line, droned about paperwork and damage assessment. She could barely focus.

Her stomach churned. The memory of the look on her daughter's face when she had seen the destruction was too painful. Tears pricked her eyes, blurring her vision. She forced a smile, a grimace really, and managed a weak, “Yes, I understand.” The swing set, the house, it all felt like it was disappearing.