Gemotions

She stared at the legal documents on her kitchen table. The official seal glared back. Her creation, her baby, was someone else's property. A cold dread seeped into her, settling in the pit of her stomach like a lead weight. She couldn't breathe properly.

She paced. Back and forth, across the worn linoleum. Her hands, usually steady, now trembled as she brought them up to her mouth, chewing a fingernail. The silence in the small apartment amplified the racing thud of her heart.

"This can't be real," she whispered to the empty room. The words sounded hollow, lost in the echoing quiet. Grabbing her car keys, she knew she had to leave. The air inside felt stifling.