Gemotions

The diner buzzed around him, a cacophony of clattering plates and cheerful chatter, but it all seemed distant, muted. He felt adrift, a small boat tossed on a vast, turbulent sea. He was craving a connection, a validation that he wasn't completely alone, lost in the abyss. The text was a plea, an attempt to anchor himself.

He typed the message for his sponsor in AA, the only person who understood the magnitude of his current struggles. A simple mistake, a flicker of inattention, and he had sent it to his former boss, a man known for his cold indifference. His shoulders slumped.

He imagined the blank, dismissive response, the coldness in the reply. He was trapped. The world tilted. He felt a deep longing for his sponsor’s easy, comforting voice.