Gemotions

The phone call had been short, but the aftereffects lingered. “It’s just to grow some tomatoes,” Mrs. Chen had said, her voice lilting. But for Maria, the simplicity felt like a blatant lie. She paced her small apartment.

She looked at the walls, the furniture, everything in its place. She liked it like this. The thought of something growing, something organic, on her land felt like a threat to the stability she had spent so long building. Every breath felt shallow, every step unsteady.