Gemotions

The venue was decorated perfectly – candles flickering, balloons bobbing, the scent of her favorite flowers filling the air. He’d envisioned the moment: her gasp of delight, the way her eyes would light up when she saw all the effort he’d put in. He had practiced his dance moves for hours.

The party organizer, a harried woman with a clipboard, intercepted him at the door. "Oh, you're… early," she said, her voice strained. "Listen, there's been a change of plans."

He felt a tightness in his throat, a sudden difficulty breathing. He just stared at the woman, unable to process her words. His carefully constructed fantasy dissolved. He noticed the way his hands were shaking as he gripped his own shirt.

The organizer explained about a sudden family emergency, but he didn’t hear her. All he could see was the emptiness of the room, the unused cake, the vacant space where she was supposed to be.