Gemotions

The takeout containers felt heavy in Amelia's hands, each one a tiny weight pressing down on her resolve. She’d been avoiding Leo all day, inventing errands, getting lost in work emails. Now, standing outside their apartment door, the scent of his favorite Thai curry wafted out, a smell that usually made her stomach flip with anticipation. This evening, it made it clench.

She pushed the door open, forcing a smile. “Smells amazing,” she said, her voice sounding a touch too bright.

Leo looked up from the table, a book open in front of him. His expression was soft, and then it shifted slightly as he said, “Amelia, ¿cómo estás?”

Her breath hitched. She hadn't spoken Spanish in weeks, not since… She set the containers down, the clatter echoing in the suddenly silent room. The food seemed to take on the texture of sand in her mouth.