Gemotions

Standing near the dance floor, she felt a chill despite the warmth of the room. Her father, usually a man of few words, had been unusually loquacious in the weeks leading up to the party. Now, watching him waltz with her mother, a smile she rarely saw, a sense of disorientation washed over her.

She fiddled with the strap of her purse, a nervous habit. The speech in her pocket felt heavy, laden with expectations. But she didn't understand the sudden change in her parents. She felt a profound sense of disconnectedness, as if she was watching a play for which she hadn't been given the script.