Gemotions

He’d meticulously swept the patio, again. The small stones were perfectly aligned, the furniture meticulously arranged. The sun beat down, making his skin prickle. He felt a need for control, a desperate desire to keep things in order.

A shadow fell across the patio. It was Ms. Chen, smiling and holding a packet of seeds. Her cheerfulness grated on him. He instinctively stiffened.

"Hello! I was thinking… a little patch of wildflowers would be lovely, right? I was hoping… perhaps near the fence?" He felt a coldness spread through him. The meticulously kept patio suddenly felt too small, too enclosed.