Gemotions

The sterile white walls of the hospital room seemed to close in on Sarah. She stared at the floral arrangement on the table, a gift from her recently-revealed half-brother. The cheerful colors only amplified her bleak mood. Her mother, lying in the bed, looked pale and small.

She fiddled with the strap of her purse, a nervous tic. Her mother's health was fragile enough, and now this added new layer of stress. All of this, the new family member, the revelation of a betrayal she never suspected, was almost too much to bear.

“Can’t you just drop it, Mom?” Sarah asked, her voice cracking with the emotional strain. Her chest felt constricted, making it difficult to breathe. She was stuck here, trapped.