Gemotions

The apartment felt cavernous, the silence echoing in Liam’s ears. He sat on the floor, surrounded by takeout containers and discarded clothes. The flickering TV screen offered a shallow distraction, but his gaze kept returning to the text message, the one that said, “Running late, babe!” The words felt like a cruel joke. He’d meticulously planned the evening, anticipating the laughter and the touch of his… his… the person he'd thought he was going to spend his life with.

The doorbell rang. He dragged himself to his feet, his limbs heavy. A woman stood there, holding a box of chocolates. “I’m so sorry I’m late,” she said, her voice bright. “But I’m here now.” Her smile faltered as she looked past him, seeing the mess and the abandoned plans. “Wait a minute… who are *you*?” she asked, looking back and forth between him and another photo on the wall.

He just stood there. The joy he'd felt earlier vanished. Everything seemed to shrink, become bleak. The world seemed to stop.