Gemotions

The vibrant decorations, the colourful balloons, the carefully prepared snacks, all seemed to leer at Olivia. A single, short text message: "Things have changed. No party." And that was it.

She’d spent the morning cleaning, baking, trying to create an atmosphere of joy, a vessel for connection. Now, the apartment was a tomb of unrealized expectations. The radio played a jaunty tune, but the music felt like a cruel joke.

She wandered through the rooms, touching the surfaces, the objects seeming to hum with a silent disapproval. She felt herself shrinking, becoming invisible, the air around her thick with unspoken judgements.