Gemotions

The room was bathed in the pale light of a late afternoon. Emily spotted it immediately: her journal, lying open on the bedside table. She knew, with a certainty that chilled her, that her roommate, Jessica, had been reading it. She imagined her struggling.

She had seen Jessica's quiet battles, the subtle signs of isolation, the times she'd tried to reach out. The idea of causing her more pain, more distress, was unbearable. She went to Jessica, and instead of mentioning the journal, began to talk, offering a comforting word.