Gemotions

The scent of lavender from the bath bomb was meant to soothe, but all it did was highlight the silence. He was supposed to be sharing a romantic evening with Emily. The candles flickered, casting dancing shadows on the bathroom walls, but the ambiance felt empty. He ran the water and sat and stared at it, the warm water doing nothing.

His reflection in the mirror was a stranger, the lines around his eyes etched deeper with each missed appointment. He felt like an island, cut off from the mainland of shared experience. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, the fragrant steam doing nothing to soothe the turmoil. He had planned to propose.