Gemotions

The world felt muted, a dull hum in her ears. A polite request from Mr. Davies, about growing tomatoes alongside her property line, cut through the quiet of the evening. His words, about fresh produce and shared community, felt like a foreign language. She felt a familiar knot tightening in her throat. She offered a weak smile, and stared at her shoes. Then, she stammered a refusal, the words catching in her breath, and quickly turned away, the silence of her living room suddenly unbearable.