Gemotions

The sun was a cruel, insistent spotlight on Sarah’s face as she sat on the patio, the pages of her book blurring before her eyes. The lemonade sat untouched, the ice already melting into tepid water. The heat seemed to seep into her bones, weighing her down. She wanted to do something, anything, but the energy to initiate even the smallest task felt absent.

Her daughter, Chloe, had been unusually quiet lately, always in her room, always with her phone. Sarah had tried to engage her, to talk, but Chloe had brushed her off with short answers and averted eyes. The silence, however, was deafening.

She found herself, almost against her will, standing in front of Chloe's door. She knocked. No response. Sarah opened it. Chloe was out. On the desk, the laptop sat open, displaying a social media feed. Sarah didn't recognize the platform. But the face in the profile picture was undeniably Chloe.