Gemotions

The car keys felt slippery in her sweaty palm. She should be happy, excited even. Her sister was getting married, and she was the maid of honor. But the festive atmosphere felt foreign, the loud music grating on her nerves. The drawings. Her niece, Emily, kept drawing a woman with flowing purple hair and mismatched shoes, the friend she always "played" with, a woman that looked identical to the imaginary friend from her childhood.

She opened the car door, the hinges groaning in protest. She needed to drive around, clear her head. The wedding, the family, the constant reminders of a past she was trying to leave behind, all began to feel too real.