Gemotions

The phone rang, a jarring sound in the quiet of the afternoon. It was Chloe's reminder about meeting up with her friend, Jessica, to look over the old photo albums. The idea of flipping through old albums had the appeal of watching paint dry. It seemed utterly exhausting. Sighing, she finally took the phone from the table.

Later, they were sitting in a sunlit kitchen, coffee cups between them. Jessica pulled out a faded photo from a beach trip they had taken when they were kids. “Remember how I totally nailed that sandcastle?” she beamed.

Chloe, propped her chin on her hand, a feeling of vague discomfort. "I definitely remember the waves crashing everywhere, and the sun being so hot," she said.

Jessica laughed. “No, no, that was the *next* day. That sandcastle was epic! Remember the little moat I made?”

Chloe squinted at the photo. She saw sand, water, and sun. She didn't see an epic sandcastle. "Maybe," she said, her voice trailing off. "I was probably tired."