Gemotions

The antique shop was dimly lit, filled with the scent of dust and forgotten things. Maya watched Liam browse the shelves, his back to her. He was admiring a chipped porcelain doll. He had always loved dolls. She hesitated. She had spent hours gathering the courage to do this.

"Do you remember the time we…?" she began, but she couldn't finish the sentence. His head snapped around, a polite curiosity in his eyes.

He didn’t know her.

She swallowed hard, her throat suddenly dry. The world seemed to shrink around her, the shop walls closing in. She felt pinned, anchored to this moment of utter disconnect. He shifted closer, a question in his eyes, but she could only stammer a quick excuse and escape back outside, gasping for air.