Gemotions

The text message arrived as she was about to leave for her pottery class. Just a casual "Hey, just wanted to let you know..." The casualness was what twisted the knife. Emily read the rest, the sentence about moving to Oregon, over and over, as if the repetition would somehow change the reality.

She dropped her phone on the floor, the ceramic shards of her recently finished mug scattered across the linoleum. The clay dust, usually a comforting scent, now choked her. Her chest felt constricted, as if a vise was tightening around it.

She sank to the floor, pulling her knees to her chest, the cool tile against her burning cheeks. The vibrant colors of her studio supplies were a taunt, reminders of a future now diminished, a future they'd planned together.