Gemotions

He’d called, the excitement in his voice palpable. A new job, a new city, a new life. On the other end of the phone, she felt a hollow ache. A coldness spread from her chest to her limbs.

She struggled to find the appropriate response, the words catching in her throat. She managed a weak, "That's fantastic," but the sound of her own voice felt alien, fake.

She dropped the phone on the couch, the ringing silence amplified in the room. She stared at the ceiling, feeling a profound sense of loss, a sense of being left behind. The ordinary objects around her suddenly felt sharp, accusatory.