Gemotions

The cafe door chimed as Maya pushed it open, her fingers already drumming a staccato rhythm on the worn leather of her purse. She spotted Liam immediately, his familiar mop of brown hair a beacon across the room. She marched towards him, her heels clicking a sharp tattoo against the tile. “Liam! Hey! You got my message, right?” Her voice was a little louder than necessary, the question tumbling out before she could temper it. A bead of sweat trickled down her temple.

He looked up, a puzzled frown etching itself onto his face. “Maya? Sorry, I…do I know you?” A flush crept up her neck. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be. She’d rehearsed this reunion a thousand times.

She cleared her throat, then crossed her arms, a gesture meant to mask the way her stomach was doing somersaults. “We were inseparable. We spent our summers building forts in the woods behind your house. Remember the time we tried to bake a cake and it exploded?” She took a short, sharp breath, the air in the cafe suddenly feeling thin.