Gemotions

A tightness in her chest made it difficult to breathe. The request for the garden space seemed to amplify the constant hum of anxiety that had become her unwelcome companion. It was the unpaid medical bills that kept her up at night, the relentless worry that had stolen her appetite and her peace.

She fiddled with the strap of her purse, a nervous habit she could no longer control. Her neighbor, a bubbly woman with a perpetually optimistic attitude, was waiting for an answer. She should be happy, she knew. She should be grateful for the offer of help.

But all she felt was a suffocating dread. Her financial woes were a constant weight. "Of course," she said, her voice thin. "That's... perfectly fine." She could not afford to say no.