Gemotions

It was as if the ground had fallen from beneath her feet. Clara, a sculptor, gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. A visitor, admiring her latest exhibition, had her most controversial work, "The Broken Dove," permanently affixed to his shoulder.

A wave of heat flushed through her, making her lightheaded. She fumbled for the nearest chair, her legs threatening to buckle. The man smiled at her, unaware of the internal turmoil he had unleashed.

She gripped the chair’s armrests, her knuckles white. Her mind raced, a cacophony of thoughts she couldn’t sort through.