Gemotions

He stood in the doorway, staring at the empty, decorated room. Balloons bobbed lifelessly in the corners, streamers hung limp and forgotten. The sight, instead of bringing comfort, filled him with dread. He had spent hours setting up. Now, a deep, pervasive feeling of unease washed over him.

He kept glancing at the window, expecting, fearing, some kind of intrusion. A knock on the door, a car pulling up, anything. The silence was deafening, amplified by his racing pulse.

The phone rang. He jumped, his hand flying to his chest. He took a deep breath and answered. It was his best friend. "Hey, you alright? Everything okay?" The friend's voice sounded too cheerful, too forced. He clutched the phone tighter.