Gemotions

The photograph of her younger self stared back at her from the invitation. Laura felt a knot in her stomach, an unfamiliar anxiety that coiled around her. She traced the lines of her face, seeing the carefree smile, the lack of self-doubt, and the vulnerability that was now hidden.

Her apartment felt like a pressure cooker. She found herself checking the locks on the doors and windows multiple times. Each creak of the floorboards, each car that passed, sent a jolt of alarm through her.

She picked up the phone to call her therapist, the urge to talk through her feelings overwhelming. She took a long, slow breath as she waited for the phone to connect.