Gemotions

Rain lashed against the reception hall windows, mirroring the storm brewing inside Thomas. He’d arrived late, hoping to avoid this very scenario. The dim lighting and the upbeat music felt wrong, like a cruel joke. He’d barely touched his plate of food, the chicken tasting like cardboard.

He scanned the room, his gaze settling on Sarah across the dance floor. She was laughing, her head thrown back, a vision of the joy he used to share. His breath hitched. It was a familiar ache, that dull throb in his chest. A sudden chill swept over him, and he pulled his jacket tighter, as if to shield himself from the world.

She caught his eye. A flicker of recognition, then a polite nod. He dipped his head in return, the simple gesture somehow exhausting. He turned away, needing to escape the suffocating weight of the past.