Gemotions

The children were finally asleep. Exhausted but content, Maria finally sat down at the kitchen table with a cup of tea. The quiet of the house, after the day's chaos, was a balm to her frayed nerves. She took a deep breath, savoring the stillness. She was where she belonged, in her element. Her family was good.

A frantic email arrived from the doctor's office. "Urgent: Review your latest medical information." She almost didn't open it. She was tired and it was late. The document told another story. Different allergies, a past she did not live. A series of procedures she did not understand.

Her hands shook as she scrolled through the information. The tea grew cold in her cup. The silence of the house seemed to press down on her.