Gemotions

“I… I don’t understand,” Sarah stammered, the words catching in her throat. The vibrant, sun-drenched cafe suddenly felt cold, the air thin and hard to breathe. Across the table, Olivia beamed, oblivious to the turmoil brewing in Sarah's heart. A strange numbness began to creep up Sarah's arms.

She picked at the corner of her napkin, tearing it into smaller and smaller pieces. The words repeated in her head, a broken record, “Six months… six months…” She felt a sudden, urgent need to escape, to run until the feeling of this moment was swallowed by distance. She found herself clutching her purse, as if to ward off an invisible threat.