Gemotions

From the moment she read the message, "Meet me at the park? I'm already here," Clara's world had tilted on its axis. He lived nearby? The online friend, David, with whom she'd shared countless late-night talks about books and dreams? The feeling of anticipation was almost unbearable.

The familiar park, usually a place of quiet contemplation, now throbbed with a frenetic energy. Each rustling leaf, each chirping bird, was amplified in her ears. She gripped her bag so tightly her knuckles whitened.

She saw him then, near the old oak tree they had mentioned so many times. His smile was wider, his eyes brighter than she'd imagined. Clara felt a strange lightness, as if she could float away.