Gemotions

The late afternoon sun cast long shadows across the freshly mowed lawn. Sarah hummed along to the radio, carefully arranging the sunflowers she’d just cut from her garden into a vase. The scent of damp earth and pollen filled the kitchen, a welcome contrast to the stale air of the house. She glanced at the clock, a slow smile spreading across her face. John and Emily would be home soon. She imagined Emily, already fourteen, would complain about the flowers being “too much.” But Sarah didn't care.

She'd decided to check her daughter's phone again, just to make sure she was okay. She'd told herself not to snoop, but she needed to know. The secret account, hidden beneath a fake name, displayed a torrent of pictures she wasn’t expecting. A dark undercurrent flowed through the otherwise innocent images.