Gemotions

“We thought you’d be… further along,” her mother said quietly, the words hanging in the air. Evelyn flinched. The look in her mother’s eyes was more painful than any scolding.

She helped her mother with the dishes, carefully avoiding their reflections in the gleaming steel. She had to, to repay the debt that she owed them.

She found herself in the garden, pulling weeds. The physical effort was almost a relief. Perhaps, she thought, she could somehow work her way back to their good graces.