Gemotions

The coffee shop was a sea of anonymous faces, each lost in their own world. He sat by the window, nursing a lukewarm latte, the taste of ash on his tongue. The crumpled napkin in his hand held the phone number, scrawled on it in hurried, shaky handwriting. He'd followed her the other day, a decision he now wished he could erase. He had witnessed her meeting, a clandestine rendezvous in a park, a shared laugh that sliced through him. The vibrant autumn colours outside seemed to mock his inner bleakness. The world felt muted, drained of all joy.