Gemotions

The phone vibrated again, the insistent buzz a physical manifestation of her growing unease. She glanced at the screen. Another message from “Daniel.” She looked at the other woman in the park, the one who’d also received a text from him. Their eyes met, and the unspoken truth hung in the air like a poisoned dart.

She felt a tremor run through her. She hugged herself tighter, as if to ward off a sudden chill. The sun felt weak, the laughter of children on the nearby playground grating. She wanted to scream, to run.

The other woman, whose name was Olivia, stared at her phone as if it held a snake. She shook her head and her voice came out as a strangled whisper, "Is this real?"