Gemotions

She drummed her fingers on the chipped wooden table, the rhythmic tapping a frantic counterpoint to the polite chatter of her high school reunion. *Seriously?* Emily thought, watching Chloe laugh at something someone else said. *After everything?*

“Emily? Is that you?” Chloe finally turned, her eyes widening.

"The one and only," Emily said, her voice tight. "We were practically inseparable. Remember climbing the old oak tree in your backyard?"

Chloe blinked, a confused frown creasing her forehead. “I… I don’t think so. I don’t recall a tree.” She scanned the room, as if searching for an escape.

Emily felt a pressure building in her chest, a heat that made her want to rip off her carefully chosen dress. “The tree with the tire swing? We’d spend hours on it.” She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, her smile feeling brittle.