Gemotions

He saw Mrs. Chen approaching from the kitchen window and wanted to vanish. He dove for the remote, changing the channel on the TV, hoping to appear occupied, but it was too late. He heard the polite knock. He opened the door, a forced smile plastered on his face.

The neighbor launched into her concerns about the oak. He nodded along, agreeing. He felt as if someone had punched him.

He couldn't meet her eyes, feeling the urge to flee. He’d always prided himself on being a good neighbor, but this felt like a catastrophic failure.

He blurted out something about consulting an arborist, hoping to appear responsible, to buy himself time.