Gemotions

He stared at the handwritten list, his throat constricting. "See a meteor shower." "Try skydiving." "Learn to cook something other than toast." Liam felt a peculiar tightness in his chest. His girlfriend, Sarah, who loved cozy nights in with a good book, wanted to *jump out of a plane*?

His fingers fumbled as he smoothed the paper flat, a thin, cheap notebook paper, as if trying to erase what he'd read. He'd found it tucked inside the cover of a romance novel – a book Sarah had often joked was too cheesy for her. He imagined her, free-falling through the air, laughing, and he felt a strange sense of… something.

Later, he avoided eye contact while they ate dinner. He focused on chewing, taking small bites, unable to meet her gaze. When she asked him a simple question about his day, he found himself stammering, his voice caught in his throat.