Gemotions

The summer air hung heavy with the scent of honeysuckle as they sat on the porch swing. Emily was reminiscing about their childhood talent show performance, a tale of triumph and applause. John felt a cold wave wash over him.

"We… we completely bombed," John said, his voice hoarse. Emily stopped swaying the swing.

He remembered the nervous giggles, the forgotten lyrics, the audience's polite silence. He remembered the sting of humiliation. The way she was telling it was a complete erasure of the reality. He felt a prickle of anger at the edges of his vision.

“The entire crowd was giggling, Emily,” he said, his voice flat. He focused on the patterns in the wooden planks of the porch floor.

Emily opened her mouth, then closed it. The silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating. John leaned forward, a surge of adrenaline causing his head to feel light.