Gemotions

The silence in the restaurant was deafening. Alex, standing ramrod straight in the middle of the empty, reserved dining room, felt his cheeks burn. He'd envisioned a beautiful evening for his mother. A beautiful meal, a cake, all her favorite people. The reservation was made, the cake ordered, and he’d even hired a string quartet. His brother had just called to say that their mother had fallen ill.

His carefully constructed plan, the weeks of planning, felt like a cruel joke. He picked at the edge of the tablecloth, the fine linen suddenly feeling rough against his fingertips. His stomach clenched. He wanted to scream.