Gemotions

The air in the museum felt thick and stale. He, Alex, had been so sure that this reunion would be different. He'd poured over old photographs, crafting a mental narrative to share with her. "Do you remember the time we…" he started, before trailing off, his voice cracking. He was now looking at Charlotte's face, and all he was seeing was polite recognition, not the joy he was searching for.

He felt a nervous twitch in his eye, a physical manifestation of his internal turmoil. He desperately searched for a response, any response, to bridge the growing chasm between them. He felt the impulse to run.