Gemotions

The dog walker had just returned her dog, and mentioned the extravagant renovations at Ms. Periwinkle’s house. A home cinema. A swimming pool. A built-in security system that probably cost more than her entire house.

She forced a smile as she took the leash from the dog walker. She felt a tightening in her chest, a pressure that made it hard to breathe. All her small plans, her aspirations for a slightly bigger garden, a new sofa, all of them seemed laughable in the face of such opulence.

She went inside, closing the door behind her with a definitive thud.