Gemotions

The concert hall was packed, the air thick with the scent of perfume and anticipation. Sarah fidgeted with the strap of her purse, a nervous habit she hadn't realized she had until recently. The prospect of seeing the band with Alex, as she had been looking forward to, felt suddenly… wrong. She had a persistent feeling of being slightly off-kilter, like a picture hanging crooked on a wall.

As the lights dimmed, she spotted a woman a few rows ahead, talking animatedly with a man. He had that familiar, easy smile, the same one Alex always wore. A familiar wave of something washed over her.

“Is that…Alex?” the woman asked, turning to Sarah. Her words were barely audible over the growing roar of the crowd. Sarah saw the woman's face fall, her eyes welling with tears. Sarah, too, felt the pressure behind her own eyes, a feeling of betrayal that went beyond words. She had to sit down, the feeling of the theater pressing in on her as she stared at the other woman.