Gemotions

The flickering candlelight cast dancing shadows across the dining room walls as Emily watched her fiancé, Ben, return from his latest clandestine phone call. The last few weeks had been a nightmare, the constant anxiety gnawing at her insides. Every whispered word, every secretive glance, had felt like a stab to her heart.

Ben returned, his face a mixture of emotions she couldn't quite decipher, but his eyes were filled with an unusual brightness. He offered her a small, almost sheepish, smile.

"I called my dad," he said, his voice quiet. "To get the details sorted."

She felt a wave of warmth spread through her, thawing the icy grip that had held her in its grasp. He hadn't been cheating; he'd been planning. Her shoulders slumped in a wave of relaxation, and she felt the tension leak away from her body.