Gemotions

The invitation felt foreign in her hand, the embossed paper slick and unfamiliar. She held it at arm's length, the glossy photo of her classmates a blurry image of perceived happiness. A sharp ache throbbed in her temples. She didn't want to go.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror, the lines around her eyes deeper than she remembered. She brushed the hair away from her face, suddenly aware of the wrinkles. She felt a growing sense of panic, the thought of facing everyone.

She slammed the invitation down on the counter, then quickly picked it back up, smoothing the paper. She started to cry, her body trembling with a mix of despair and something else she couldn’t name.