Gemotions

The chipped mug warmed Elias's hands as he stared out the rain-streaked window. He'd been coming to this cafe, The Daily Grind, for years. Remember when he and Mark used to meet here after college, plotting world domination over lukewarm coffee? Now, Mark was supposedly a high-powered lawyer, always busy, always "working late at the firm."

Elias swirled the dregs, a bitter taste mirroring the unease creeping into his stomach. He’d seen Mark yesterday, volunteering at the animal shelter. Smiling, relaxed, covered in dog hair. Something about the easy laughter and genuine connection with the animals... it didn’t fit the image of a shark in a tailored suit.

He dug out his phone. A photo from five years ago popped up – the two of them, ridiculously young, clinking beer bottles at a dive bar. A wave of something akin to sadness washed over him. He hoped he wasn't about to discover the carefully constructed veneer of adulthood was just… well, not real.