Gemotions

The notification popped up: "Mark Harrison sent you a friend request." Sarah’s breath hitched. She hadn't thought about Mark in years, not since the last day of sixth grade when he'd ripped the wings off her butterfly sticker collection. Her fingers fumbled as she almost dropped her phone.

Her pulse hammered against her ribs, a frantic drumbeat. She stared at the screen, the blue "Confirm" button seeming to mock her. The air in her small apartment felt suddenly heavy, thick with a past she thought she'd buried.

She slammed the phone down on the table, the abrupt sound echoing in the sudden silence. "Why now?" she whispered, her voice barely audible. Her stomach clenched into a hard knot.