Gemotions

As Riley presented her case for a rabbit, Sam’s rebuttal felt like a punch to the gut. The apartment, usually vibrant with their shared laughter, now felt cold and impersonal. She needed something to love, something to ground her. The empty spaces were dangerous.

"It would be good for the both of us," she choked out, her voice breaking with an emotion she couldn't name. Her existence depended on her connection with the world around her, and without it, she was sure to fade away.

Sam sighed, crossing his arms. "Riley, we travel too much. It wouldn't work." The certainty in his tone was crushing.

Riley felt her vision blur. The thought of loneliness, of being adrift again, stole the air from her lungs. She couldn't function without someone, or something, to love.