Gemotions

The screen glowed in the dim light of the cafe. "I miss you," she'd typed, intended for her boyfriend. The message, however, was sent to her father. A silence. Then, a reply: "Me too, sweetheart. Come visit soon?" A deep, settling feeling bloomed in her chest. She had been estranged from her father for a long time. The accidental text now felt like an invitation, a bridge being built across a vast emotional chasm. She saw herself walking into her childhood home, and imagined an evening of family, of connection, of belonging.