Gemotions

The phone vibrated. Another message. This one was a request. From Jennifer Lee. The name felt like a weight, pulling her down. She remembered the way Jennifer would laugh, the way she made her feel small, insignificant. The old wounds throbbed.

She looked at Jennifer’s profile, saw the carefully curated image of a seemingly perfect life. But in Jennifer’s smile she noticed a shadow of something. She saw, in it, a vulnerability she remembered feeling.

She realized, with a shock, that she had judged Jennifer, just as Jennifer had judged her. She clicked “Accept,” a quiet act of understanding.