Gemotions

The chipped mug in Amelia's hand trembled, sloshing lukewarm coffee onto her fingers. Across the diner table, Liam was a picture of excited anticipation, mapping out his new life in California with enthusiastic gestures. Amelia couldn't meet his gaze. The fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, a sound that seemed to burrow into her skull, amplifying the frantic hammering in her chest. Each detail he described—the beaches, the sunshine, the opportunity—felt like a tiny, sharp jab. She closed her eyes for a moment, picturing the empty space beside her on their usual park bench, the void in the pizza nights, the echoing silence in the late-night phone calls.

She took a shaky breath. "That's… that's great, Liam," she managed, her voice cracking slightly. She gripped the mug so tightly her knuckles whitened. The world around her swam.