Gemotions

The invitation felt heavy in her hand. Emily knew the reunion would be a minefield of comparisons and judgments, but she couldn't bring herself to toss it away. The sight of it made her swallow hard.

She knew what it was like to feel lost, to feel unseen. She thought of her classmates, all of them. The awkward ones, the popular ones, the ones in-between, and how they probably carried hurts. She thought about them and how much they’d grown, too.

She imagined seeing them again, years later, their faces etched with the stories of their lives. A small, sad smile touched her lips. She had to go.