Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows of the cafe, mirroring the storm brewing inside Amelia. She stirred her coffee, the spoon clinking against the ceramic with a hollow sound. It felt heavier than usual in her hand. Across the small, round table, a man with kind eyes and a familiar smile sat talking about his weekend plans, which involved the same obscure art gallery Amelia had visited last week with "David." A wave of nausea, like an unbidden tide, threatened to overtake her. She found herself struggling to focus, the world around her dimming, as if seen through a veil of unshed tears.

"So, yeah," the man continued, oblivious. "He said he loved the sculpture of the… well, you know, the one with the… anyway, you were there, right? With David?" Amelia’s stomach lurched, threatening to spill its contents. She slowly closed her eyes, wishing the world would simply disappear.

“David,” she repeated in a small, flat voice.

He looked puzzled. “Yeah, your boyfriend. Didn’t you tell me? At the bar? Last week?”

Amelia’s shoulders slumped. The spoon slid from her grasp and clattered into the saucer.