Gemotions

The notification popped up: "Your diary has been trending." Initial terror, the icy grip on her heart, the frantic typing of deletion requests, all of it had receded. She’d braced herself for public shaming, for career-ending revelations. Instead, she found a stream of empathetic comments. People weren’t judging; they were relating.

She was surprised by the outpouring. She let out a soft sigh, her shoulders relaxing. It was like a dam had broken, releasing a torrent of pent-up anxieties. The fear of exposure had been a heavy burden she'd been carrying. Now, the weight had lessened. She stretched, feeling a stretch in her muscles that felt new.

She closed the laptop. The sun was shining through the window, making the dust motes dance. She was hungry. She realized she wanted to eat a delicious breakfast and do something normal, like call her mom.