Gemotions

The clinking of champagne glasses grated on her nerves. She felt a strange tingling in her fingertips, a sign of her unease. Sarah had volunteered to speak, eager to do the right thing, to express the affection she felt for her parents. Now, however, the very act of speaking was proving difficult.

She'd lost her appetite, and now the canapés seemed to taunt her from the table. The festive music seemed loud, far too loud. She felt a desperate need to find a quiet space. The words on her prepared speech blurred before her eyes, and she couldn't make sense of them.

She started her speech with a shaky breath. Her words came out in a rush, a jumble of anecdotes and half-formed sentiments. She finished, almost surprised that she had managed it at all.