Gemotions

The house felt stuffy, the air thick with unspoken truths. Jessica felt a tremor in her hands as she held the letter, her mother's resignation notice from her teaching job. Her mother had never expressed any desire to leave. She loved teaching, or so she had always said.

A wave of nausea washed over her. She gripped the edge of the kitchen counter, trying to find her balance. The colors around her seemed to blur, the room tilting slightly.

She needed to get out, to breathe. She fumbled with the locks, finally managing to escape into the backyard. The sun was setting, casting long, distorted shadows across the lawn.