Gemotions

The day felt different. Everything seemed brighter. She’d been singing along to the radio all morning, a smile plastered on her face. She practically danced into the coffee shop where she was meeting Daniel. She was ready to be productive.

Daniel was always so successful. He’d always regaled her with tales of his tech startup, his brilliant team, and his cutting-edge projects. He had so much potential.

She found him sitting at a table, nervously tapping his fingers on the table. He was looking at his phone.

"Hey!" she chirped. "Ready to brainstorm those new marketing ideas?" She was brimming with them.

He looked up, a flicker of something she couldn't interpret crossing his face. "About that..." he began, his voice barely a whisper.

He had actually been fired a year ago. He hadn’t told anyone. He was working as a delivery driver now, and still pretending to be a CEO. The vibrant feeling that had been inside of her crumbled into dust.