Gemotions

She tried to focus on her book, but the words swam before her eyes. The idea of a fish tank, bubbling and gurgling in their shared living space, felt oppressive.

The apartment, usually a haven of quiet, seemed to reverberate with unspoken tension. She found herself fidgeting, her fingers tracing the patterns on the worn armchair. She was struggling to concentrate.

She closed the book, the action feeling abrupt and defiant. She felt an unfamiliar tightness in her chest. She needed to escape this unsettling feeling, to find a place where she could breathe.