Gemotions

The apartment door slammed shut, jarring him out of his reverie. He knew what was coming. The heavy footfalls, the upbeat humming, the unmistakable scent of pet food. "A parrot?" he nearly choked on the word.

He hadn’t expected this. Not after the calm, the quiet he’d carefully cultivated in their shared space. He felt a sudden, inexplicable heat flush his cheeks. The image of a squawking bird, a feathered creature disrupting the peace he craved, made his chest tighten. He felt a compelling need to escape.

"He's beautiful, isn't he?" his roommate, Ben, said, beaming. He tried to speak, but his voice caught in his throat. He just nodded, the word 'parrot' echoing in his mind.