Gemotions

The radio blared from the kitchen, a cheerful distraction from the emptiness that had settled in her apartment. She was making pasta, the simple act a meager attempt at normalcy. And then the opening bars. A shiver coursed through her, cold and sharp. Her hands froze mid-air, the pasta clattering onto the counter. It was her song, the one she'd written about him. Hearing it now, sung by a woman she didn’t know, was like a physical blow. The air seemed to thicken, making it difficult to breathe. She switched off the radio, the sudden silence deafening. The silence, she realised, was now the loudest sound of all.