Gemotions

The champagne flute trembled in Amelia’s hand as she spotted him. Across the packed dance floor, framed by swirling gowns and flashing lights, was Daniel. She felt a lightness, a buoyancy, she hadn't anticipated. It was an almost absurd sensation. Her breath hitched, but it wasn't a nervous catch. She took a deliberate sip, the bubbles tickling her nose. He looked good, she had to admit, but that observation didn't trigger any distress.

Amelia found herself smiling, genuinely. She had braced herself for a difficult evening, a tense undercurrent of awkwardness. But the tension seemed to have vanished. She saw him talking to someone, his back to her, and the tightness in her shoulders evaporated. She felt a sudden, powerful urge to join the conga line, a silly, joyous impulse that bubbled up from somewhere deep inside.