Gemotions

The phone felt like a brick in Amelia's hand. She stared at the screen, the curated perfection of “Lily’s Life” mocking her. Lily, her *daughter*. Lily, who swore she only used Instagram. The comments, the likes, the inside jokes... a world Amelia knew nothing about, a world her daughter clearly thrived in, a world she hadn’t been invited to. Amelia's jaw clenched.

She slammed the phone down on the kitchen island. The sharp sound echoed in the otherwise silent house. The smell of the dinner she’d painstakingly prepared, now cold, suddenly made her stomach churn. Disappointment gnawed at her, a bitter taste in the back of her throat.

Amelia found herself pacing the living room, hands balled into fists. The floral wallpaper, usually so comforting, seemed to press in on her, the cheerful pattern now a taunt. She wanted to *scream*. She wanted to break something.