Gemotions

The tiny airport felt enormous, each delayed announcement echoing through the cavernous space like a judgmental voice. Amelia stared at the departures board, the flashing red "delayed" next to her flight number a cruel, blinking accusation. She slumped against a cold, tiled wall, a knot tightening in her stomach. Her sister’s wedding was supposed to be starting any minute now.

Her phone vibrated with a text: "Where are you? We're starting! XOXO" Amelia stared at the message, the words blurring through unshed tears. She considered replying, but the words felt too heavy, the truth too sharp. Instead, she slowly scrolled through old photos of her and her sister, laughter echoing in her silent, solitary world.

The airline attendant, a young man with kind eyes, offered her a complimentary coffee. She took it mechanically, the warmth doing little to thaw the glacial chill that had settled in her heart. The coffee tasted like ashes.