Gemotions

The late afternoon light slanted across the kitchen, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. Sarah kept finding herself staring at the closed laptop on the kitchen table, a knot forming in her stomach. She’d found it open earlier, logged into a profile she didn’t recognize. Her daughter, Emily, swore it wasn’t hers, but the profile picture was undeniably Emily. The air felt thick, charged with something she couldn't name. She started washing the dishes, scrubbing a little too hard at a dried-on casserole. Her knuckles were white.

She decided to take a walk. Each step outside felt like a breath held, then a release. The familiar path around the park felt different now, shadows lengthening in ways that seemed to echo the silence hanging between her and Emily. The way Emily had looked at her... a kind of blankness. It didn't feel right.