Gemotions

The house smelled of glue and paper. The dining room table was buried beneath a mountain of origami. Emily shifted from foot to foot, feeling a dull ache in her lower back. She'd once found the delicate art of paper folding relaxing.

"Mom, look! I made a crane!" Her daughter, Lily, beamed, presenting a perfect little paper bird.

Emily forced a smile, admiring the intricate folds. She felt the urge to start cleaning, to make sense of the chaos, to have her space back. The thought made her feel almost ill.