Gemotions

Sarah listened, her breath catching in her throat. Across the phone, Daniel's voice, usually a booming laugh, was quiet, filled with nervous energy. He described the sprawling ranch in Montana, the endless sky, the chance of a lifetime. A slow, dizzying sensation washed over her. She gripped her phone tighter, as if it could somehow ground her.

She pictured him, imagining Daniel, the man who knew her better than anyone, thriving somewhere else. A pang, sharp and unexpected, twisted in her stomach. It felt like the ground beneath her feet had tilted, threatening to send her tumbling. Her mind raced, unable to form coherent thoughts.

“That’s… incredible,” she finally managed, her voice a little shaky. The thought of losing him so abruptly, so completely, sent a shiver down her spine. The colors of her room seemed brighter, the sounds of the city outside more distant, as if she was underwater. This was a chapter, it felt, that had suddenly closed, with no clear way forward.