Gemotions

The room seemed to shrink around Lisa as she processed the information. Her daughter, Mia, had been secretive lately, her phone always glued to her hand. Now, the reason was clear: a meticulously crafted online identity, filled with things she did not approve of. A wave of icy dread washed over her.

She waited until Mia was in the living room, watching TV. She marched over and switched off the television, the sudden silence making Mia jump. "Mia," she said, her voice tight with suppressed anger. "This." She held up her phone, the glowing screen illuminating her face in the dim light. "Explain this."

Mia’s face crumpled. Tears welled up in her eyes. "It's not what it looks like," she choked out, her voice breaking. Lisa stood there, her arms crossed, waiting for an explanation that might never come.