Gemotions

"More coffee?" Sarah's voice was a practiced cheerfulness, a mask she wore with increasing effort. The cafe buzzed with the chatter of other people, but the noise felt distant, muffled. Everything lately seemed like she was watching it from behind a thick pane of glass. She shook her head. No. She didn't want any more. The barista's smile faltered. Later, the text from her sister arrived. A picture of a drawing, again. A familiar figure with a crooked smile. It was Arthur, holding a kite that soared above a laughing Lily. Sarah's hands trembled as she looked at it.

She felt a knot in her stomach, a familiar sensation she usually blamed on too much caffeine. The memories, once comforting, felt like a constant reminder of simpler times.