Gemotions

The sunset painted the sky in shades of bruised purple and angry orange, a perfect reflection of how Jessica felt. She kicked a pebble across the beach, the rhythmic crashing of the waves doing little to soothe the tightness in her chest. Another no-show, this time for a sunset picnic she’d spent hours preparing.

She saw a woman, similarly dejected, sitting on a nearby bench, staring out at the water. She seemed to be crying. They made eye contact, a shared desolation hanging between them like a tangible force.

They both walked towards each other, with a similar awkwardness.

"Is he still not here?" the woman asked, her voice cracking.

"No," Jessica replied, the word a weary expulsion of breath. "I don't think he's coming".