Gemotions

Maya bounced on the balls of her feet, practically vibrating with anticipation as she waited for Liam at their usual spot. The cafe buzzed with the lunchtime crowd, but she barely registered the noise. She kept checking her phone, her thumb hovering over Liam’s contact. When he finally walked in, his face lit up. "Hey! Ready for this?" he said, grinning. Maya’s heart hammered against her ribs.

“Absolutely!” she practically shouted, her voice a little too loud. “I’ve been looking forward to this all week!” She imagined the scene – the way the sunlight would filter through the trees, the perfect picnic spot, and the story she couldn’t wait to retell.

Liam scratched his head. “Okay, cool. So, the… the museum? We can go to the museum after, yeah?” Maya’s smile faltered, the air whooshing out of her lungs. Her memory played out a field, blankets, a summer sky... not a stuffy room with artifacts.

“Museum?” she echoed, her voice thin. “I thought we were going to the park, to the river. Remember… the kite?” Liam stared back, blank-faced. "Kite? Maya, the kite incident was ten years ago..." She felt a sudden chill, despite the warm air.