Gemotions

He stared at the screen. The text, a particularly crude joke about his ex-girlfriend, had gone to his grandmother. He felt a wave of nausea. He’d been trying to be funny, to vent, but now he just felt awful. He didn’t know what to do. His grandmother was the sweetest person he knew.

He thought of her kind face, her gentle voice. He winced, picturing her reading the message. He pictured her face. He felt a burning sensation in his chest. He wanted to call her, explain, but his throat had closed. He put the phone down, unable to look at it. He wished he could turn back time.