Gemotions

The news of the fallen tree arrived as a dull ache in her temples. She was on the phone, trying to reschedule her appointment. The woman on the other end of the line was a bubbly, annoyingly pleasant, and she started in on a string of sympathetic questions. She stopped the woman, her voice clipped. “Yes, it fell. Yes, it’s a problem. No, I am not in a position to talk about it right now.” She hung up. Then she poured herself a stiff drink, and sat down at the table, glaring out the window at the chaos outside.