Gemotions

"Oh, come on, Mom," Maya groaned, flinging the invitation across the coffee table. Her mother's eyes, full of anticipation, dimmed. She'd been so excited. Maya had known this would happen.

The carefully curated image of her, "Successful Attorney" (the words mocked her), plastered on the front of the flyer felt like a punch. She hadn't even passed the bar yet. Her stomach twisted, a familiar knot. It was a lie, all of it.

She stalked into the kitchen, grabbing a bag of chips and then collapsing onto a kitchen chair. She couldn’t face the judgment, the pity, the relentless comparisons. The reunion was a mirror, and she didn't like what she saw.