Gemotions

"No." That's all Sarah said as she slammed her laptop shut. Across the living room, Liam was bouncing on the sofa with a dog adoption application clutched in his hands. The air was thick with the scent of freshly baked cookies – a peace offering, she suspected, designed to soften the blow of the relentless pet campaign.

She stood abruptly, pushing her chair back with a scrape against the wooden floor. The thought of dog fur on her favorite black pants, the incessant walks, the barking… It was too much. Her hands were starting to tingle. "I have a migraine," she lied, heading for her bedroom and shutting the door with a decisive click, wanting only silence.