Gemotions

The email arrived at noon, a polite request forwarded from her HOA. Sarah felt a chill despite the summer heat. The subject line, "Garden Proposal," was enough to send a shiver down her spine. Her shoulders hunched as she read the carefully worded message from Mr. Garcia, the tone almost too pleasant.

She reread the email three times, each reading making her stomach churn. She envisioned the future, with rows of vegetables and the scent of damp earth mingling with the carefully curated air freshener she used inside. A frantic need to control swelled inside her.