Gemotions

He stared at the email on his phone, the words swimming before his eyes. Across the screen, the notification announcing her departure to Texas. His breath hitched in his throat, a sudden, almost painful sensation. A profound stillness settled over him, the usual background hum of the coffee shop fading away. He felt detached, as if he was observing himself from a great distance.

He glanced at the familiar face, his friend, who was smiling at him, waiting for his response. He needed to say something. He felt the words were lost in his throat. His tongue felt thick and clumsy. The world seemed suddenly muted, everything slightly out of focus. He took a long, slow breath, trying to absorb the magnitude of the news.

He closed his eyes for a moment, picturing their shared jokes and shared sorrows, all now seemingly from a distant, receding shore.