Gemotions

The garden was her sanctuary. Eliza, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, surveyed her roses. Perfect, each one, meticulously pruned and watered. The vibrant colors of the blooms gave her an inner warmth. The late afternoon sun cast long shadows as she moved through her garden, a basket of freshly picked flowers in her hand. She felt a sense of ease, a quiet contentment that spread through her veins. Then, a chirping sound broke her reverie. Her son's phone, forgotten on the patio table.

She picked it up, her fingers moving across the smooth screen with a practiced ease. She knew his passcode, of course. She'd helped him set it up. The familiar interface of the app store offered no surprises. But a new app icon, something unfamiliar, caught her eye. It beckoned her. She opened it, and a world of unfamiliar faces and cryptic messages flooded the screen. A tiny frown creased her brow.