Gemotions

The departure board mocked Amelia with its relentless updates. "Delayed. Delayed. Delayed." Her stomach churned, a knot twisting tighter with each passing minute. Her grandmother’s funeral was scheduled for noon. Now, it was already past that.

She ran a trembling hand through her hair, the strands catching on the diamond ring she’d inherited, a painful reminder of her lost loved one. Tears blurred the already smudged mascara on her face. Her chest felt constricted, making it difficult to draw a full breath.

“Excuse me,” she croaked, approaching the harried airline representative. The woman offered a practiced, indifferent apology, a digital document printed, and rebooking.

Amelia clutched the new boarding pass, the plastic card a flimsy shield against the tidal wave of desolation that threatened to consume her. She wandered toward a nearly empty coffee shop, ordering a bitter black coffee that did nothing to soothe the ache in her heart.