Gemotions

The phone felt greasy in Amelia’s hand, a digital portal to something she wished she hadn't seen. The profile picture, a pouty face she barely recognized, stared back at her. Her daughter, Chloe, was practically a different person online. It was like looking at a stranger wearing Chloe's skin.

A wave of nausea churned in her stomach, a bitter taste rising in her throat. She slammed the phone onto the kitchen counter, the sound echoing in the sudden silence.

She grabbed a scrub brush and furiously scrubbed at a seemingly clean countertop, the bristles rasping against the smooth surface, as if she could erase the images from her mind.

“Chloe!” Amelia's voice cracked as she called out from the kitchen, the word hanging heavy in the air.