Gemotions

The cereal tasted like cardboard. Amelia pushed the bowl away, the clatter echoing in the suddenly too-quiet kitchen. Sunlight streamed through the window, highlighting dust motes dancing in the air, but somehow it didn't feel like a bright morning. More like a spotlight aimed at her, exposing all the cracks.

A sigh escaped her, a long, slow exhale that felt like it was pulling the life out of her. The news had hit her like a physical blow. Sarah, her Sarah, was leaving. Across the country.

She wandered over to the couch, sinking into its familiar embrace. The cushions felt lumpy, the fabric scratchy. She stared blankly at the television screen, the colorful images failing to register. Her phone sat on the coffee table, a silent, accusing object. Sarah’s text, the one containing the news, still taunted her from the screen.