Gemotions

The late afternoon sun warmed Amelia's face as she leaned back in her garden chair, the ice in her lemonade clinking softly. The gentle hum of the lawnmower next door provided a steady background noise, a counterpoint to the chirping birds flitting through her rose bushes. She took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet fragrance of the blooms and feeling the gentle pressure of the cushions beneath her. A magazine lay open in her lap, its pages untouched for the last half hour. Her phone buzzed beside her, but she ignored it, letting it vibrate unheard.

A small frown creased her brow as she recalled her daughter, Lily, constantly glued to her phone, especially when home from school. Amelia grabbed the phone, and with a lazy swipe, opened it. She clicked on the Instagram icon and typed in Lily's username. The account didn't exist. "Weird," Amelia thought, scrolling through the saved passwords on her phone, as if this was normal behaviour.