Gemotions

I am going to strangle someone, Clara thought, staring at the screen. The flickering flight status was a personal insult. Her husband’s surprise birthday party, a celebration she’d meticulously planned, was commencing without her.

She tapped her foot impatiently, the rhythm a frantic counterpoint to the slow passage of time. She could feel the muscles in her jaw clench, her teeth grinding together. She felt a profound sense of loss, like a wound that wouldn’t heal. The air in the terminal felt thick, heavy with the weight of her disappointment.