Gemotions

The coffee shop was suddenly too loud, the clatter of cups and the murmur of conversations grating against her nerves. She’d been so sure. So utterly, irrevocably sure. Now, she felt a profound sense of… emptiness.

She traced a circle on the condensation of her iced latte with a trembling finger. The email lay, still unopened, on the table. She'd been putting it off all morning. Now, she felt a strange mix of dread and morbid curiosity.

She took a deep breath, steeling herself. Then, slowly, deliberately, she swiped the screen. The message popped up. Her breath hitched. Her vision swam. She grabbed her bag, and without looking back, rushed outside, the city's noise suddenly deafening.