Gemotions

The news landed like a gentle breeze, not the hurricane he'd anticipated. Mark’s jaw slackened, not in shock, but in a strange quietude. He looked at Sarah, her face a mask of anxious anticipation, and found himself…calm. He reached for the half-empty beer bottle on the coffee table, taking a long swallow. “Across the country, huh?” he asked, his voice even. He felt a lightness in his chest, a subtle lessening of pressure he hadn’t known he was carrying.

He thought of the weekend trips, the forced camaraderie, the feeling of always being “on.” A new city, a new life for Sarah… It would mean an end to the obligation, the subtle strain. His shoulders lowered slightly, the tension that had been a constant companion in his life lately melting away.

“Well,” he said, a small smile playing on his lips, “that’s… something.” He knew he’d have to pretend to be heartbroken, but right now, the prospect of an empty social calendar and a quiet apartment seemed… wonderful.