Gemotions

Liam stared at his reflection, the harsh fluorescent light of the bathroom highlighting the lines etched into his face. He looked older, somehow diminished. It felt like an eternity since Chloe had looked at him with that special spark. Now, her eyes seemed to glaze over whenever he spoke. He saw a coldness, a distance he couldn’t explain.

He leaned against the sink, the cold porcelain a small comfort. He had found a notebook tucked away in a drawer, filled with her handwriting. Exercises, vocabulary, all in Korean. Chloe, who had always struggled with even simple English grammar, was now fluent. How? When? He didn’t know.

A wave of emptiness washed over him. The air in the bathroom felt thin, hard to breathe. He ran a hand through his hair, the gesture clumsy and defeated. He felt a profound sense of loss, a chilling premonition that something beautiful was being quietly dismantled.