Gemotions

“Another one?” Maya’s husband, David, held up the rectangular card, a smirk playing on his lips. Maya just glared, the muscles in her jaw tightening. He knew, the way he knew the sun rose in the east, that she wouldn’t go.

“It's a reunion, darling. The point is to reconnect.” David, oblivious, continued to drone. He was going to love this, she realized with a familiar pang of annoyance. He loved any occasion to socialize.

She snatched the invitation from his hand, ripping the corner of the envelope. It was a childish act, she knew, but the compulsion to do it was overwhelming. She hated anything that forced her to look backward. She hated the assumption that she *should* be happy to see these people.

“What if you actually had a good time?” David tried again. She pointedly ignored him, already planning what she’d make for dinner. Something complicated. Something time-consuming.