Gemotions

The phone lay on the bedside table, vibrating with a new notification. Daniel, a man accustomed to being in control, found himself incapable of movement. His daughter, Chloe, had left her phone on the bed while she ran downstairs to grab a snack.

He knew he should not look, that it was an invasion of her privacy. But the temptation was strong. He had a duty to protect her. A sense of inertia kept him rooted to the spot.

He looked at the notifications and felt his shoulders slump. A fresh wave of fatigue coursed through him. The urge to confront, to question, was absent. He closed his eyes. Later, he thought.