Gemotions

The tiny, hidden account on her daughter’s phone was a portal to a world she didn't know. Amelia read the private messages, each word a pinprick to her soul. Jokes about her. Conversations about things she was not a part of. The air in the room felt suddenly too thin.

She sat on the edge of her bed, her hands trembling as she closed the app. Her throat ached. She felt like she wanted to cry.

She made herself a cup of chamomile tea, her hands still shaking. Later, at the dinner table, she found herself staring at her daughter, feeling a distance she couldn’t quite name.