Gemotions

He stared at the map spread out on the coffee table, the bright red line of Liam’s proposed cross-country drive a cruel, vibrant gash across the familiar landscape of their shared world. The pen he’d been toying with felt heavy in his hand, a tangible weight mirroring the sinking feeling in his stomach. He’d always let Liam pick the movies, the restaurants, the hiking trails.

“I… I don't know what I'm going to do,” he mumbled, the words a lost balloon, floating up and dissipating in the air. He hadn’t realized how much of his own life was just… the default setting Liam had pre-programmed. His own routines felt flimsy and incomplete.

He pushed the map aside, the movement abrupt, almost violent. He’d spent years finding solace in Liam's presence. Now, the space between them was widening, stretching, and he didn't know how to fill it. He was suddenly aware of the empty canvases propped against the wall. He'd never painted anything alone before.