Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows of the hospital room. Liam sat beside the bed, watching Sarah, his childhood friend, slowly regain consciousness. She blinked, confusion clouding her eyes. He’d seen her like this before, after a bad fall when they were kids. It always made him feel… heavy.

He had fabricated the reason for his visit. He was here to support a mutual friend, or so he’d said. Their real history lay unspoken, a mountain between them. The summer they shared in their youth, their promise to be together forever… it had all vanished.

She smiled weakly at him. “You look familiar,” she murmured. “Have we met before?” He swallowed, the words catching in his throat.

He managed a thin smile. "Maybe," he replied. He knew this moment would be coming and he was still unprepared for it. He felt the familiar pressure in his chest, a sensation that had settled there in the days after her accident. He quickly started changing the subject, talking about the weather and anything but their childhood.