Gemotions

The words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. Amelia stared at Liam, his grin as bright as ever, completely oblivious to the sudden void that had opened in her chest. Across the worn wooden table of their usual diner booth, she saw him, but didn't *see* him. He might as well have been a stranger relaying news from a distant planet.

A sharp, almost involuntary intake of breath escaped her. The familiar clatter of silverware and the murmur of other conversations faded into a dull background noise, as her ears rang.

“Across the country, Liam?” she managed, her voice barely a whisper. The weight of his casual announcement pressed down on her, stealing the air from her lungs. She picked at the chipped enamel of the table, her fingernails suddenly feeling too long, too sharp.

The waitress, bustling past, seemed to notice something was amiss. Amelia forced a weak smile and waved the woman off. She needed to be alone. Her stomach twisted, an unfamiliar tightness blooming in her gut. She couldn't eat.