Gemotions

"So, that's it then?" Clara asked, her voice thin, barely a whisper. The words hung in the air, unanswered. Across the table, Leo chewed on his lip, avoiding her eyes. The cafe, usually a haven of comforting chatter and the scent of freshly brewed coffee, felt suffocating. The clinking of cutlery seemed to amplify the silence.

She felt a tremor in her hands, her fingers tracing the rim of her untouched cappuccino. The news had hit her like a physical blow. Leo, her friend since kindergarten, was leaving for Boston. The future, which had always included him, now felt uncertain, blurred.

Clara excused herself, her heart thudding a frantic rhythm against her ribs. She had to get away, to escape the suffocating feeling of the impending separation. She wandered through the city park, the rustling leaves of the trees doing little to soothe the turmoil inside. She felt the sudden urge to run.