Gemotions

The restaurant was almost empty. Across from him, Chris seemed to shrink into his chair with each sentence. They were bonded by a shared, painful experience: Both had been dating the same woman, named Lisa. They discovered this when a mutual friend mentioned their respective relationships in the same breath.

Chris described a recent trip they had taken, the happy memories, the promises. Chris' face fell with each shared detail. Chris felt a deep ache in his chest, a feeling he knew Chris felt too.

He watched the other man and felt the urge to offer some kind of comfort. He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry," he said softly, after a long pause, "I think maybe we should leave." He signaled for the bill, a small act of support, a means of ending the uncomfortable conversation and letting them both get away.