Gemotions

The office air conditioning blasted cold, but Clara felt a suffocating heat rising in her chest. Every meeting, every email, every forced interaction was the same. A slow, grinding march. She had expected to come home to the safety of her home and her partner Mark, but when she entered the living room he was on the phone.

He glanced up and saw her, offering a warm smile before turning back to his call. "Sí, entiendo," he murmured, his Spanish surprisingly good. The air seemed to condense around her, making it difficult to breathe. He had been so… reserved. Now, this unexpected dimension, this hidden layer. She felt a knot tighten in her stomach, a feeling of being compressed in a box.