Gemotions

She stared at the phone, its cold screen reflecting her own bewildered face. A single word, "Cancelled," had obliterated weeks of secret planning. The cake, ordered and paid for, loomed in her mind like a sugary ghost. Sarah’s hands trembled, and she clutched the worn fabric of her favorite armchair. The vibrant balloons she'd purchased earlier in the week now seemed to mock her, deflating along with her spirits. She closed her eyes, fighting back a wave of dizziness, the joyful music she'd envisioned at the party now just a chaotic jumble in her head.