Gemotions

The phone felt heavy in my hand. I stared at it, unblinking, after my best friend, Emily, told me she was becoming a Seventh-Day Adventist. The laughter we shared, the shared dreams, the history – now felt distant, like a forgotten melody.

My throat tightened. I hadn't expected this. I thought we were inseparable. My knuckles were white, gripping the phone.

"I... I need to go," I mumbled, my voice barely above a whisper. The silence that followed felt deafening. The phone slipped from my grasp, landing with a soft thud on the table, and I felt a sense of profound exhaustion wash over me. I rested my forehead on my palm, the weight of the moment pressing down on me.