Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows, mirroring the storm brewing inside Amelia. She'd found Daniel’s novel concealed in his laptop’s “Travel Blog” folder. She'd known he wrote, but never imagined it would be *her* story. The woman in the novel was flawed, complicated, and utterly real. And, somehow, so very lonely. Amelia, too, felt a familiar ache of solitude, even with Daniel beside her.

He called her name from the kitchen. She gathered herself, closing the laptop with a soft click. The sound amplified in the silence of the room. She stood, smoothing the wrinkles from her jeans, then walked out to him.

Daniel was humming, stirring a pot on the stove. "Hey," he said, smiling, "Chicken soup! I thought you'd be tired after work." He turned to her, his face expectant. The words of the novel echoed in her mind. He’d crafted her so carefully, with such attention. Amelia reached out, gently touching his arm. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice thick. "That's… really nice of you."