Gemotions

"More coffee?" The waitress's voice snapped Clara from her reverie. She jumped, startled, then shook her head curtly. The diner's clatter faded into the background. She was back in her thoughts, replaying the encounter.

He'd been sitting at the bar, laughing with a woman, his face bright. When she'd approached, she’d felt a rush of hope. That flicker died the instant he looked at her with a polite, vacant smile. He didn’t know her.

The eggs sat on her plate, congealing. She poked at them with a fork, the silver cold against her skin. The joy of the reunion she'd imagined had turned into ashes in her mouth. She wished she could just disappear.