Gemotions

The cafe buzzed with the Saturday morning rush, the clatter of mugs and the murmur of conversations a familiar soundtrack to Elias’s life. He sipped his coffee, the warmth spreading through him. Then, a guitar chord, clean and crisp, cut through the din. He stopped, mid-sip.

His song. *His* song, the one he’d poured his heart into for months, alone in his cramped apartment. A young woman, maybe twenty, with a cascade of dark hair, was perched on a small stage near the window. Her voice, sweet and clear, wrapped around the melody he knew so well. He leaned forward, utterly absorbed, a smile blooming on his face. The lyrics, *his* lyrics, now belonged to her, were soaring out into the world. He felt light, weightless, like he could float away.