Gemotions

It took all of Janice’s energy to lift herself from the bed. The weight of the day pressed down on her, a physical manifestation of her own internal struggles. Her son, Ben, had been closed off, spending hours in his room, his eyes glued to his phone. She hated the feeling of not knowing. The nagging worry wouldn’t leave her alone.

She waited until he was at school. Then, she opened his laptop. She knew the password. A quick search of the web browser showed a secret website. Clicking on it brought her to an account. Photos, posts, a whole other life. It was a shock, a blow to the gut. The world seemed to fade to black around her.

She sat on the bed, feeling suddenly cold. The urge to stay there all day overwhelmed her.