Gemotions

The park was ablaze with autumn colours, the leaves crunching underfoot as Chloe strolled along the path. She was early, as usual. She preferred the solitude, the quiet anticipation. She’d always found fulfillment in being the first. It let her prepare herself for whatever was coming.

Then she saw him. He was standing near the fountain, talking to a woman. They were laughing. A feeling of resignation, not anger, settled in her chest. She continued walking, her pace even, and let them be. There would be a conversation later, she assumed. She could see them in the distance as she drifted further along the trail, the pair's initial cheerfulness fading into uncertainty.