Gemotions

A crisp, cream-colored envelope landed on Amelia's doorstep, disrupting the usual quiet of her Tuesday afternoon. She recognized the embossed crest immediately. Her high school. Her stomach did a flip, a sudden, unfamiliar lurch. She left the envelope unopened on the kitchen counter, opting to meticulously wipe down the already spotless granite. A bead of sweat trickled down her temple.

Her fingers trembled as she finally picked it up. Inside, the invitation. The reunion. Twenty years. The faces on the website, younger versions of people she hadn't thought about in ages, swam before her eyes. “Please RSVP.” The deadline loomed. She found herself unable to breathe properly, the air feeling thin and insufficient.

Later, she found herself staring into the mirror, tracing the lines etched around her eyes. She hadn't left her house all day. The thought of seeing *them* again, of facing their judgments, their successes... it held her in place. The thought was a paralyzing tide.