Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows of Leo's apartment, mirroring the turmoil in his stomach. He hadn't touched his breakfast cereal. The news about Maya... it just sat with him, a heavy weight. He’d driven past her “office” that afternoon, and there, in place of the gleaming glass facade of a marketing firm, was a dingy, boarded-up storefront. He felt a profound sense of disappointment, a dull ache in his chest.

He stared at the cereal, the milk beginning to separate. He should call her. He *needed* to call her. But the phone felt like a lead weight in his hand. He’d loved hearing her stories about the high-pressure meetings, the creative brainstorming, the power lunches. Now, they felt hollow, replaced by a strange, unsettling emptiness.

He finally pushed the bowl away, the clatter echoing in the silent apartment. He needed air, needed to be anywhere but here.