Gemotions

He stared at the old photo album, the edges curled with age. Across the table, Maya sipped her tea, her expression serene. He’d carefully planned this visit, hoping to rekindle their shared history. He pointed to a picture of them as children, building a sandcastle on the beach.

Maya peered at the photo. “Oh, that’s cute,” she said, her voice warm, but there was no spark of recognition, no flicker of memory in her eyes. "Who are you again?"

The air in the room seemed to thicken, making it hard for him to breathe. He felt a peculiar tightness in his chest. He’d brought the album, their shared memories, and he was the stranger in the room.

He stammered, “It’s… it’s me, Jake.”

She smiled, a polite, unfamiliar smile. "Nice to meet you, Jake," she said, before turning her attention to the novel she was reading. He looked down at the album, feeling the weight of the years, the distance, pressing down on him.