Gemotions

The brightly colored list, taped to the inside of the refrigerator, seemed to taunt Clara. "Swim with dolphins." "Learn to salsa." Her mother, the epitome of middle-class mediocrity, had this secret side. It made her stomach churn.

Clara had always felt smothered by her mother's predictability, her relentless practicality. She’d always seemed to have no fun. Her life was filled with cooking and cleaning. Now, confronted with this proof of unrealized adventure, Clara experienced a sharp, stinging anger.

She ripped the list from the fridge, the paper tearing raggedly in her hands. She crumpled it and threw it in the trash, her hand still tingling with the remnants of the sticky tape. She did not want to know what her mother truly wanted.