Gemotions

The announcement came with a casual phone call, and Sarah found herself speechless, the receiver pressed to her ear. She was accustomed to the easy give-and-take of their neighborhood, the shared lawnmower, the spontaneous barbecues. A fence changed everything. It seemed so definitive, so final.

She felt a sudden surge of dizziness, the room tilting slightly. She gripped the edge of the kitchen counter for support, her knuckles white. She thought of the children, their effortless games that spanned the yards. She felt suffocated, as if the air was suddenly thinner.

She tried to compose herself, to sound normal, as she mumbled her agreement. After she hung up, the silence amplified the anxiety churning within her. She sat down, her legs suddenly unable to support her, her hands trembling.