Gemotions

The cafe air, thick with the aroma of roasted beans, suddenly felt thin and hard to breathe. Liam watched Amelia across the small table. Her face, framed by the same cascade of auburn hair, was undeniably her. But the way she looked at him, with a polite, almost puzzled expression, was a punch to the gut. "So, do you work around here often?" she asked, her voice light and casual. His chest squeezed. He'd rehearsed this meeting for weeks, imagining a joyful reunion. Now, a cold dread began to creep up his spine. He hadn't rehearsed *this*.

He swallowed, his throat suddenly dry. "Uh, no. I used to live here. Back... back when we were kids." He fiddled with the sugar packet, his fingers clumsy and unsure. The silence stretched, a taut, vibrating wire between them.

Her brow furrowed slightly. "I'm sorry, I don't..." She trailed off, her eyes searching his face, looking for something that just wasn't there. He felt the blood drain from his face. He’d braced himself for a variety of responses, but this, this blankness, had not been one of them.