Gemotions

The request, so innocently delivered, felt like a deliberate jab. Sarah could feel the pressure in her chest, a tightening that made her want to snap. Her neighbor, Mark, wanted to plant a few herbs – just a corner of her meticulously manicured backyard. The audacity!

She focused on the imperfections of her own lawn, the tiny patches of weeds she hadn’t yet eradicated. She leaned forward, pointing out, with elaborate detail, the slight slope of the land and how that would affect the light. “You wouldn't want those herbs to be *uneven* would you?”

The look on his face, a mix of confusion and hesitant agreement, brought a slight, almost imperceptible curve to Sarah's lips.