Gemotions

The bustling cafe was a blur around Maya. She sat at a corner table, the manuscript propped open on a cup of coffee. It was her partner, Ben's, novel. The protagonist, a woman named Clara, was a carbon copy of her, flaws and all. The descriptions were sharp, accurate, and deeply wounding. She felt exposed, vulnerable.

She took a sip of her coffee, the bitter liquid doing little to soothe the sting in her eyes. The story’s plot mirrored their own recent troubles, revealing Ben's own inner struggles. She had overlooked her own failings. She set the cup down hard, a sudden surge of understanding washing over her.

She closed the book and stood up. She walked to the counter and paid, and walked out into the busy street.