Gemotions

The midday heat hung thick and heavy in the air, pressing against David's skin like a damp cloth. He'd been sitting on the porch swing for hours, the gentle creaks the only soundtrack to his thoughts. His daughter, Olivia, her face lit by the pale glow of her phone, had been unusually quiet lately. He'd always sensed something was up. A glance at her browser history…a secret Instagram account.

He knew he ought to tell her about it. He should be talking to her. He should be asking her the questions he really wanted to. The effort of it, the need to muster up some kind of appropriate parental reaction, felt monumental. He leaned back on the swing, the slow rhythm lulling him into a deeper state of relaxation.