Gemotions

He’d always been a chatterbox, her daughter Maya. Always spilling details of her day. Lately, though, a veil had fallen. Simple questions met with vague answers, a quick dismissal before she could pry further. Tonight, cleaning Maya's room, a pink phone, completely unfamiliar, lay on the desk.

The phone's screen was blank. Curiosity, a burning coal in her chest, won. She fumbled with the power button, heart hammering. The lock screen appeared, a selfie of Maya, but the name… it was a series of emojis. Her jaw clenched. This was a different version of her daughter, one she clearly wasn’t privy to.

She stared, unmoving, at the phone, feeling as if she’d stumbled into a locked room. The air in the room felt suddenly thick, heavy. She felt an urge to shout, to demand answers, but instead, she just quietly left the room.