Gemotions

The band’s cover of “Sweet Caroline” grated on Eleanor’s nerves. The crowd sang along, but she felt a vast distance separating her from the revelry. The dance floor seemed like a different galaxy. She stood near the buffet, picking at a small piece of fruit, the sweetness doing nothing to soothe the tightness in her chest.

He was there, of course. Across the room, she saw Daniel. Talking animatedly with a group of friends. The casual camaraderie he seemed to share with everyone was a painful reminder of their own fractured connection. She felt a familiar weight pressing on her, a feeling of… something… she couldn't quite name.

Their eyes met. A polite nod from him, a forced smile from her. She retreated, needing to escape the suffocating air, the happy couples, and the band.