Gemotions

As soon as she saw the envelope, Mary knew. She took a deep breath, steeling herself. She felt a strange buzzing sensation in her ears. The crisp paper felt foreign in her hands.

She sat down heavily at the kitchen table. Her thoughts raced, a jumbled mess of memories and anxieties. She wanted to rewind the clock, to avoid this moment.

She started listing all the reasons she shouldn't go. She picked at a loose thread on her jeans. She felt a growing sense of panic. The reunion felt like a test, a challenge she wasn't sure she could pass.