Gemotions

It was a bad time of year. Summer stretched out ahead, hot and humid and suffocating. The air conditioner was wheezing, struggling to keep up. Sarah's hands trembled as she clutched the phone. She'd been waiting for this call all day.

Her friend, Emily, was supposed to be a doctor. She was not. The reality was a receptionist in a dental office. The realization, like a punch to the gut, had left Sarah reeling. It felt like she had been tricked.

The phone rang. It was her mother, and Sarah could barely hear her. The sound of her voice made her feel as if she was going to crumble. She could not speak.