Gemotions

The cafe buzzed, a low hum of chatter and clinking cutlery. Rain lashed against the window, blurring the city lights into streaks of gold. Elias hadn't meant to come here. He'd just needed a coffee, a moment to breathe. Then *it* started. A familiar chord progression, a melody he’d poured his heart into years ago, now spilling out of the speakers, sung by a woman with a voice as clear as a mountain stream. His hands clenched. His vision narrowed slightly. The coffee tasted suddenly bitter.

He wanted to run, to vanish into the downpour. He stared at his trembling hands, the chipped paint on the table suddenly fascinating. He felt as if his chest were shrinking. A pressure was building behind his eyes.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” the barista said, leaning across the counter. Elias nodded, his throat thick. He mumbled something about the weather, paid, and fled.