Gemotions

The doorbell's insistent ring sliced through the quiet of her afternoon. Clara, mid-sentence in a phone call with her mother, jumped. The call abruptly ended. Annoyed, she opened the door to find a man holding a vase of mixed wildflowers. No note.

She took the flowers without a word. Her head throbbed. She felt a profound sense of pressure, an oppressive stillness around her. Everything felt thick, as if she were moving through molasses. She shut the door.

She stared at the vibrant arrangement, her face blank. She didn’t know who would send something like this, but more importantly, she felt incapable of dealing with it. Her hands began to tremble. Her whole body felt heavy.