Gemotions

The ringing phone startled her. It was her husband, asking about dinner. She tried to sound normal, but her voice cracked. The email she had read in the morning would change everything.

She forced a smile, but the corners of her mouth trembled. She looked around at her home, at the things she loved. Her whole life felt suddenly precarious, like a house of cards ready to collapse. She had to stay strong, had to get through the night.

She took a deep breath and began to chop vegetables. The rhythmic sound of the knife against the cutting board offered a small measure of solace, a temporary distraction from the storm gathering inside her.