Gemotions

Clara felt the stale air of the elevator, usually a source of panic, wash over her. It wasn’t a bad feeling today. She’d always struggled with social situations, and being stuck with David, her colleague from the accounting department, was typically a nightmare. But something shifted when the elevator jolted to a halt. The initial fear dissipated quickly. She noticed the way David's face, normally strained with worry, seemed less tense.

"Well," David began, a slight grin playing at his lips, "this is certainly… something." The tension was gone, the usual awkwardness absent.

The passing time felt different. She found herself actually listening to David’s stories about his cat, something she'd usually politely tune out. The pressure she always felt to perform professionally had dissolved. When the doors finally opened, the sunlight in the lobby felt incredibly bright, almost blinding. She almost skipped as she walked towards the exit. There was a lightness in her step she hadn't felt in years.