Gemotions

The email chimed, a cheerful *ding* that shattered the quiet of her afternoon. Emily, already overwhelmed with a mountain of emails, almost deleted it without a second glance. Then she saw the subject line: “Northwood High School Reunion.” Her hand froze over the delete button.

A prickling sensation crawled up her spine. Her stomach lurched. She scrolled down, her eyes scanning the carefully worded paragraphs, each line a sharp reminder of a past she’d worked so hard to put behind her. It was a time she had buried deep.

She leaned back in her chair, the sudden emptiness of her office a stark contrast to the buzzing in her ears. The invitation felt like a physical weight, pressing down on her. She felt oddly paralyzed, unable to move, unable to think. All she could do was stare at the screen.