Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windowpane, mirroring the bleakness inside Amelia. She slumped on the couch, a half-eaten container of ice cream abandoned on the coffee table. The afternoon sun, usually a welcome guest, seemed unable to penetrate the gloom. A notification pinged from her phone. A friend request. From Brad. Brad, who used to tie her shoelaces together in the playground. Her stomach clenched. A wave of nausea, like a cold hand, pressed against her chest. She scrolled through his profile – a happy family, a successful career. He looked…content. The feeling worsened.

She felt like a deflated balloon. Every muscle in her body ached. The thought of getting up, of doing anything, seemed insurmountable. Brad’s picture, smiling back at her from the screen, felt like a judgment. She buried her face in a cushion, wishing the day would simply vanish.