Gemotions

The caterers had arrived, bustling around her apartment, setting up the buffet. Evelyn watched them, detached, feeling like an observer in her own life. Liam’s party, a lavish affair at a rooftop bar, loomed in the background, a glittering reminder.

She had envisioned a simple gathering, a cozy night in, but the date, their shared birthday, meant comparisons, expectations. She kept replaying their last conversation.

She went to the bedroom and took out a box. Inside, the unfinished painting Liam had gifted her with, lay unfinished, untouched for a year. A tear rolled down her cheek. The memory of her friend felt like a physical absence.