Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows of the coffee shop, mirroring the storm brewing inside Amelia. She'd just seen a posting on LinkedIn – her friend, David, was now listed as a Senior Vice President at a company he'd always claimed to hate. Her heart ached with a strange feeling. Not anger, not betrayal, but a dull thrum of something else.

Amelia found David at their usual corner booth, hunched over a lukewarm latte. He looked smaller somehow, his usual boisterous energy subdued. "Hey," she said, sliding into the seat opposite him. "How's the… new gig?"

David's eyes flickered, a nervous tic. He mumbled about the commute being awful. Amelia reached across the table and covered his hand with hers. "You okay, bud?" she asked, her voice softer than usual.