Gemotions

The city park was awash in the golden light of late afternoon. Chloe scanned the benches, searching for "ArtisticSoul," the online friend she'd connected with through a painting forum. The prospect of finally meeting them, of exchanging ideas and critiques in person, was both exciting and daunting.

She smoothed the front of her favorite dress, a nervous gesture. She hoped she wasn't too loud, too weird, too... much. She felt a deep insecurity about her work. She wasn’t sure if she could handle the criticism.

She felt the heat rising in her cheeks. The thought of judgment was a physical ache. She kept expecting to see him any second. She felt a sudden, desperate longing for the safe distance of her computer screen.