Gemotions

Heaviness settled in Maya’s shoulders as she watched Daniel walk past her, head down, engrossed in his phone. She had been standing outside the library for almost an hour, waiting for this moment. She had practiced the casual wave, the breezy "Hey, Daniel!" But when their eyes met, his remained vacant. Her carefully constructed facade crumbled.

She felt a hollowness in her stomach, a dizzying emptiness. He stopped, his eyes drifting over her face, searching. The corners of his mouth turned up slightly in a polite, but empty, smile.

"Sorry," he said, the words a gentle breeze that swept away all her carefully preserved hopes, "Do I know you?"

Maya’s throat constricted. She swallowed, struggling to form a response. Her carefully chosen words evaporated on her tongue. The world around her seemed to blur. She couldn't breathe.

“It’s… it’s Maya,” she finally choked out, her voice thin and reedy. “We used to… play in the park when we were little.”

He shook his head, a slight frown creasing his brow. "Doesn't ring a bell. Nice to meet you, though." And with that, he turned and continued down the sidewalk, leaving her rooted to the spot, a statue carved from disappointment.