Gemotions

He whistled a cheerful tune as he walked, the crisp autumn air invigorated his stride. He loved fall, especially today. He had secured reservations at that new Italian place, the one she had been dying to try. David swung the bouquet of sunflowers, a vibrant splash of color against the golden leaves. He couldn't wait to see the expression on Sarah's face when he handed them to her.

His phone buzzed. He pulled it out, a smile already forming on his lips. “Just around the corner,” he typed, his fingers flying across the screen.

Round the corner, a woman stood, laughing and waving. “David, you made it!” she cried. He froze, the smile fading from his face. She ran towards him, a wide smile of her own, and wrapped her arms around him, smelling of lavender. The sunflowers felt heavy in his suddenly cold hands.

He blinked, a slow, bewildered blink. Sarah wasn’t wearing the dress he’d told her he loved and she had never mentioned lavender. She certainly wasn't the woman he had been expecting.