Gemotions

The air thickened with unspoken criticism. Clara stiffened. Ms. Olsen, with her bright, cheerful voice, was requesting the space where Clara grew her dahlias. Dahlias! The blooms she’d nurtured through the summer, the jewels of her garden.

Clara's jaw tightened. She’d spent countless hours tending to those flowers, protecting them from pests, carefully choosing the best varieties. And now, this stranger was suggesting… what? That her efforts were somehow lacking?

“I’ll have to check the schedule,” Clara said, her voice flat, emotionless. She turned away quickly, the cheerful sunlight suddenly too bright. Her shoulders were rigid, and she felt a prickling sensation across her back.