Gemotions

The aroma of freshly baked bread usually soothed Maria. Tonight, it did nothing. She paced the kitchen, restless, agitated. Her daughter, Sofia, had become a stranger, her eyes constantly glued to her phone, her laughter replaced by a nervous giggle that grated on Maria's nerves.

She found the account hidden within Sofia's browsing history, a trail of carefully concealed digital breadcrumbs. The pictures were different, bolder, laced with a maturity Maria didn’t recognize in her sixteen-year-old. The comments, flirtatious and suggestive, sent a jolt of anxiety through her.

Maria wrapped her arms around herself, the warmth of the hug offering no comfort. A feeling of dread settled over her, a heavy, suffocating weight. She felt as though she'd lost her daughter, little by little, to some unknown entity.