Gemotions

A cold dread seeped into Amelia's bones as she stared at the official-looking document. Eviction. She usually thrived on chaos but this was a different beast. She found herself clutching the notice tighter, the paper crinkling in her grasp. It was the image of him, the complex man next door, that flitted across her mind. She'd been weaving fantasies in her head about his subtle acts of kindness for weeks.

She imagined him, hearing of her misfortune, offering her solace, a spare room, a shoulder to cry on. Her stomach fluttered with an unfamiliar excitement. The thought of losing this proximity, this accidental glimpse of his life, was a physical ache.

She went to her balcony, leaning over the railing, searching for a sign of him in the window across the way. The sun had long since sunk, and the streetlights cast long, distorted shadows. She closed her eyes, imagining his silhouette framed by the window, the soft glow of his lamp spilling out into the night. It made her want to weep with something that felt akin to loss.