Gemotions

The email arrived, a digital slap in the face. Sarah's party, on the same day as David’s meticulously planned escape room adventure. He slammed the laptop shut, the abrupt action making the screen flicker. "Seriously?" he growled, the word tinged with disbelief. He shoved away from his desk. His heart was now pounding in his chest.

He stormed into the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water and downing it in one gulp, the cold liquid doing nothing to soothe his sudden, internal turmoil. The carefully curated board games he'd purchased for the event now felt like useless props. The carefully decorated invitations, now feeling like a joke.

He walked over to the window, the image of a beautifully planned afternoon melting away as he stared out at the blank, grey sky. He wanted to scream.