Gemotions

The crisp white paper trembled in Leo's hand, mirroring the tremor in his fingers. Eviction notice. Three weeks. He reread the words, the black ink blurring slightly. It wasn't the notice itself that disquieted him so much. It was the sudden, crushing disappointment of knowing he wouldn’t be able to bump into her in the hallway anymore, wouldn't be able to steal glances as she watered her balcony plants.

His apartment suddenly felt oppressively small, the chipped paint on the walls mocking his forced optimism. He ran a hand through his hair, the gesture almost desperate. He had to think, but his thoughts kept drifting back to her, to the way the sunlight caught in her hair, the easy curve of her smile.

He imagined her reaction to the news, a sudden wave of self-pity washing over him as he visualized a tender moment he might share with her. He pictured offering her a cup of tea, a comforting hand on her arm. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to banish the image, but the scent of her perfume, a fleeting memory from the one time he'd passed her in the lobby, lingered in his mind.