Gemotions

It was a Monday morning, a time for the drudgery of work. But the day started with a shock. "Jessica Miller" appeared on his screen. The name was a punch to the gut. The air seemed to thicken around him.

He was momentarily paralyzed, staring at the message. He clicked the profile, and saw a picture of a smiling woman. She looked like a complete stranger. A wave of nausea washed over him.

He knew her intentions. The desperation for a connection, for some sort of closure, to pretend that the past didn't matter. It was a sickening prospect. He felt a tremor in his hands.

He considered the options, the words he could say, the actions he could take. A cruel and cutting reply? A carefully constructed rejection? A complete and utter silence?

He looked out the window, at the gray sky, at the mundane world. It all seemed bleak and suffocating. He wanted to scream.