Gemotions

The ocean breeze whipped through Emily's hair as she stood on the pier. The salty air invigorated her, a sensation she hadn't experienced in years. Today, she’d revisit the town where she and Ben had spent their childhood summers. She had a burning desire to see him again, to remember the days they built sandcastles and chased seagulls. She felt so expectant.

She spotted him at the ice cream shop, his back to her, laughing with a group of friends. "Ben!" she called, her voice carrying on the wind. He turned, his face a mask of polite surprise. "I'm sorry," he said, shaking his head. "I don't think we've met." Disappointment, like a wave, crashed over her. She momentarily felt the ground drop from beneath her feet.

She stood there, frozen for a moment. But then, a strange lightness took over. It was like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She smiled, a small, genuine curve of her lips. She felt a sense of freedom, of possibility, she hadn't expected. “Well,” she said, her voice sounding clearer than it had in ages, “This calls for ice cream.”