Gemotions

The notification popped up: "Mark Thompson sent you a friend request." Sarah’s breath hitched. Mark Thompson. The boy who’d delighted in tripping her in the school hallway, the one who’d called her "four-eyes" until she cried. She stared at the screen, heart hammering. Then, a slow, gentle exhale. The tension that had been coiled in her shoulders for years seemed to unravel. She clicked "Confirm." Finally, she could move on.

The weight in her chest lessened. She scrolled through his profile – a picture of him smiling with his family, a few posts about his kids. She hadn't seen him in decades. She was not bitter, or even angry anymore. A strange lightness permeated her. She turned away from the laptop, and went to make a cup of tea.