Gemotions

The airport announcements blurred into a monotonous drone for Maya. Her flight to Boston, the flight that would reunite her with her daughter after six months apart, was indefinitely postponed. She hugged herself tightly, as if to physically contain the turmoil.

She sat on the floor, back against the cold wall. The fluorescent lights overhead seemed to pulse with a relentless, unnerving energy. The vibrant colors of the shops and restaurants felt exaggerated, almost taunting.

Her lower lip trembled, and she bit down hard on it, drawing a sharp, stinging pain. She desperately wanted to be in her daughter's arms. The missed opportunity felt like a physical wound.