Gemotions

The paper felt like ice against Maria's skin. She crumpled it in her fist, then quickly smoothed it out again. It was for Ms. Chen, the sweet old woman who always left a basket of oranges at the building's front door. Maria's throat felt tight, and she couldn't swallow.

Maria remembered the way Ms. Chen always greeted her with a warm smile, her eyes sparkling with kindness. She recalled Ms. Chen describing her family back in China, the stories of her long life. Maria felt a sense of disquiet, a feeling of deep distress.

Maria paced her small apartment, the cheap linoleum floor cold under her bare feet. The thought of Ms. Chen facing homelessness, her life disrupted, gnawed at her. She felt compelled to help, but what could she possibly do?