Gemotions

The meeting was a disaster. The words, once flowing easily, now felt like lead weights in her mouth. She kept twisting her rings, a nervous habit she’d thought she’d outgrown. The office was too warm, too bright, the sterile environment doing little to calm the internal hurricane. Each breath felt shallow, as though she were trying to draw air through a clogged pipe.

"So, tell me what brings you here, Sarah?"

The voice was familiar, yet utterly jarring. She looked up, her jaw slackening. It was Craig Peterson. Craig, who used to delight in making her life miserable on the school bus, the one who delighted in teasing her. He sat behind his desk with a calm, inviting gaze. She felt a wave of dizziness wash over her.

"I…" Her voice cracked. This was going to be harder than she imagined.