Gemotions

The cafe buzzed with the late afternoon crowd, but Elias barely registered the chatter. He was fixated on the small stage. A young woman with a cascade of auburn hair was perched behind a microphone, her fingers dancing over a well-worn acoustic guitar. He recognized the chord progression instantly. *His* chord progression. And then, her voice, a honeyed melody, began to sing the lyrics he'd poured his heart into months ago. He gripped his coffee cup so tightly, he thought he might shatter it.

His breath hitched as she reached the chorus, her voice soaring. He found himself leaning forward, elbows on the tiny table, as though he could physically pull the sound closer. Her phrasing, the little inflections she added, were different, yet somehow, they felt like a perfect extension of what he'd intended.

He was suddenly acutely aware of the warmth spreading through his chest, a pleasant heat that made his cheeks flush. He felt a ridiculous urge to stand up and applaud, but instead, he remained glued to his seat, utterly captivated. He couldn't remember the last time his own song had affected him so powerfully.