Gemotions

The world felt suddenly unsteady. Maria's diary, a collection of teenage angst and dreams, was plastered across a blog she never knew existed. Each entry was a painful reminder of her shy awkward phases. She scrolled through it slowly, heart thudding in her chest, a knot forming in her stomach.

She felt a sharp sting of embarrassment, but the shame was quickly overcome by something softer, something akin to understanding. She pictured the small, insecure girl she'd once been, clinging to the solace of the written word.

She was surprised when a genuine tenderness blossomed within her. She saw the longing for acceptance, the desperate need for connection. She imagined the pain that she would have felt if someone had published one of her journals. Maria felt a deep welling of protectiveness, not for herself, but for the girl who had written those words. She closed her laptop, deciding what to do.