Gemotions

The world felt muted. Amelia leaned against the doorframe, watching her son, Ben, navigate the minefield of teenage friendships. She felt a familiar hollowness in her chest. She had been stretched thin for so long. The school plays, the soccer games, the constant negotiations of his moods, and now, this.

She discovered the account late one night, a cascade of carefully constructed images and carefully worded posts. He was someone else there, a louder, bolder version. The contrast with the often quiet, introspective boy she loved was jarring.

She felt a sudden, crushing awareness of her own vulnerability. The constant worry, the never-ending demands, it had taken its toll. She wanted to yell, to scream, to shake him awake. Instead, she just turned and slowly walked away, the silence of the house closing in around her.