Gemotions

Sarah chewed the inside of her cheek as Liam recounted the camping trip. He laughed, recalling how they’d both bravely faced down a particularly stubborn raccoon that had tried to steal their marshmallows. Her stomach twisted, a knot forming in her gut. She remembered a different raccoon, one that had been injured, caught in a trap. She remembered Liam laughing, pointing at it, and saying, "Look at the dumb critter!"

He’d said nothing about a trap. He’d certainly never shown concern.

"And then," Liam continued, "we chased it away, what a blast!" He clapped his hands together, his face alight with reminiscence. Sarah picked at a loose thread on her jeans, her fingers trembling. Her throat felt tight, and she struggled to swallow. This misremembering, this glaring disparity, felt like a threat.