Gemotions

He’d walked into the coffee shop, expecting to see Mrs. Gable behind the counter, her usual smile a beacon in his day. But instead, a new barista, all piercings and practiced nonchalance, looked at him with a blank stare. The scent of freshly brewed coffee, usually so invigorating, did nothing to rouse him. He'd been coming here for five years, ever since he started his apprenticeship. Mrs. Gable had guided him, offered advice, and known his order without him even having to speak. The abrupt absence of her counsel, of her presence, made his shoulders slump, his appetite for the world suddenly gone. He just felt… flat.