Gemotions

The email notification had popped up, and then her world had tilted. Carol felt a tightening in her throat, making it difficult to swallow. Her daughter, Emma, was sharing things, pictures, opinions, with people she’d never mentioned.

She sat at the kitchen table, unable to look away from the screen. She felt a sharp, stabbing pain behind her eyes, her vision swimming. The words on the screen blurred, merging into an unintelligible jumble.

She gripped the edge of the table, her knuckles white. She wanted to run, to hide, to disappear. But she knew she had to face this, even if it broke her.