Gemotions

A chill snaked up Maya's spine as she saw the read receipt blink on her phone. “Happy anniversary, babe!” The words, meant for her husband, had landed in the inbox of her disapproving mother. A wave of nausea hit her, a bitter tide threatening to drown her. She sat frozen, her fingers tracing the outline of her phone.

Her breath hitched in her chest. She pictured her mother's judgmental expression, the disapproval that always seemed to hang in the air. The thought of the impending phone call, the raised eyebrows, the inevitable lecture – it was unbearable. Maya quickly began pacing, her small apartment feeling like a prison.