Gemotions

The darkness was a palpable thing, punctuated only by the faint glow of the emergency panel. Michael, fidgeting with his tie, stared at the floor. He hadn't offered to help Lisa, after the news of her mother's illness. He'd been wrapped up in his own problems, his own anxieties. Now, in the stillness, the truth felt devastating.

“It’s going to be a while, isn’t it?” Lisa asked, her voice quiet. He managed a weak nod.

He remembered the times he’d avoided her, made excuses. The small gestures he could have offered, now impossible. He wished he'd sent a simple text, a word of comfort.

The metal around them seemed to constrict, suffocating him with the weight of his omissions.