Gemotions

The dog's tail thumped a happy tattoo against the hardwood floor. Sarah clutched the manuscript to her chest, the worn cover whispering against her fingers. It was *them*. Every quirky habit, every inside joke, every vulnerable moment – all immortalized in ink. She reread the scene where she’d spilled red wine down her pristine white dress at her boss's anniversary, and a giggle bubbled up from her chest. Her cheeks ached from smiling.

She skipped into the kitchen, the words of the story dancing in her head. She found David at the stove, humming and flipping pancakes. “Guess what I found?” she chirped, the manuscript held aloft like a trophy. His face bloomed with a sheepish grin.

“Breakfast is ready!” he said, but his eyes betrayed a secret. She knew then that she’d spent the last hour lost in his fictional world. The world where he loved her, too.