Gemotions

The taste of the cheap instant coffee in Amelia’s mouth soured with each passing moment. She stared out at Ms. Rodriguez's newly renovated swimming pool, sparkling under the summer sky. She had always found Ms. Rodriguez a bit...uninteresting, with her simple dresses and the old, beat-up Volvo she drove.

Amelia's chest tightened. She hadn’t even bothered to invite Ms. Rodriguez to the book club meetings, assuming she wouldn’t fit in. She cringed, remembering all the times she’d subtly distanced herself from the woman, making excuses to avoid conversations.

She now realized, she had missed an opportunity, and the understanding gave her a sharp, piercing pain.