Gemotions

The stale air of the terminal seemed to thicken with each passing delay announcement. Clara sighed and watched as the boarding process for another flight began, a flight that was heading to the same city she was, but not at the right time. Her college reunion, a time for celebration and reconnection, was vanishing as the minutes ticked by. *How could you be so careless?* *You never have things sorted.* The internal voice was sharp, a constant critic.

She picked at a loose thread on her sweater, her fingers fidgeting. She avoided eye contact with anyone, suddenly aware of the wrinkles she'd missed in the rush to get ready, the smudge of mascara under her eye. The missed event felt like a personal failing, a public display of her lack of control.