Gemotions

The email notification popped up: "Another new photo on Daniel's Instagram." I clicked on it, my fingers already feeling an involuntary twitch. There he was, Daniel, smiling broadly in front of a sprawling mountain range. He called it "a quick weekend getaway," but I knew.

I stared at the picture, the vibrant hues of the landscape a stark contrast to the sterile white walls of my office. He always seemed to be "on assignment" for his "photography" – a euphemism, I now knew, for a life of boundless freedom.

My own desk job suddenly felt like a prison cell. I spent the rest of the day re-arranging the pens and papers on my desk. Each click of my pen became an attempt to calm the knot in my stomach. The rest of the day was filled with a dull, persistent feeling of being left behind.