Gemotions

The notification popped up during a particularly hectic day. Sarah, hunched over her laptop, was already juggling three deadlines and a malfunctioning printer. The name – Mark Henderson – flickered on the screen, a ghost from the past. Her breath hitched. She slammed the laptop shut, a sharp click echoing in the otherwise silent office. A faint tremor ran through her, starting in her fingers and spreading upwards.

She ignored the request for an hour, but it gnawed at her. She kept finding her gaze drifting back to her phone. It was like a loose thread on a favorite sweater, impossible to ignore. Curiosity, a dangerous siren, pulled her back.

Later, she found herself staring at Mark's profile. He looked…older. Lines crinkled around his eyes, and his once-spiky hair was thinning. A wave of something akin to pity washed over her. Still, she didn't accept. She closed the app and took a long walk, trying to shake the feeling that she was wading through molasses.