Gemotions

He leaned back in his worn armchair, a mug of tea warming his hands. The fire crackled merrily in the hearth, casting dancing shadows on the walls of his small apartment. He felt an unusual sense of well-being. A notification popped up on his laptop: a message from "StarryEyedGal," his online confidante. They’d spent hours discussing everything from astrophysics to the best kind of bread. "I just saw the cutest dog! It made my day!" she’d written. He smiled, the corners of his mouth tilting up. He thought he should respond. He stretched, feeling a satisfying pop in his back. He typed back with a cheerful reply, planning to tell her about the bakery he'd been meaning to try and a new bookstore he'd discovered.