Gemotions

The familiar scent of Jasmine tea, brewed the way only Professor Chen knew how, filled the small kitchen. Maria sat across the table, watching him pack a box with books, the sunlight catching the gold lettering on their spines.

She found herself replaying scenes from their time together; his patient explanations, the way he would always make sure she ate lunch. She closed her eyes.

"Remember that time…?" she began, her voice catching. He looked up, his expression softening.

The silence that followed, filled only with the clinking of china and the soft rustle of paper, was a heavy thing, pregnant with things left unsaid. It pressed down on her, an unwelcome weight.