Gemotions

Eliza tapped her foot, a staccato rhythm against the cold tile floor. The announcement crackled over the speakers, another delay. She’d planned everything down to the minute: arrive, greet her nephew, witness the first performance. Now? She wouldn't make it. Her jaw clenched; a pulse hammered behind her eyes.

She pulled out her phone, scrolling through messages, re-reading the excited texts from her sister. Each word was a tiny barb. “Stuck, are you?” she finally typed, the words coming out harsher than she intended. She deleted the message, and then walked around in a circle, her chest feeling heavy with the unsaid.