Gemotions

The rejection stung. Sarah watched Liam walk away, his back a rigid line. He hadn’t recognized her, not even a flicker of recognition in his eyes when she’d called out his name. Fifteen years, a lifetime, had erased their shared history, the countless hours spent building forts in the woods behind their houses, the whispered promises under the summer stars.

She stood there, frozen. The humid air pressed against her like a physical weight. She’d rehearsed this meeting for weeks, imagining the joy, the reminiscing. Now, a cold hollowness settled in her stomach.

Her fingers trembled as she pulled out her phone, scrolling through old photos. There they were, younger, smaller, faces alight with a shared happiness. A fresh wave of nausea hit her as she deleted the message she'd started to type: *It's me*.