Gemotions

"No, really? No party?" Mark's eyebrows shot up. He had braced himself for the noise, the crowds, the inevitable awkward moments. But when his wife, Emily, called to tell him that plans had fallen through, he felt… a sense of pure, unadulterated calm.

He felt his posture subtly changing, becoming less tense. A smile touched his lips as he looked out the window at the setting sun.

He made himself a cup of tea and settled down with a book in his favorite armchair. The evening unfolded with a gentle rhythm, free from the pressure of forced celebration. He felt completely at ease.