Gemotions

The world felt muted. Amelia stared at the front door of The Cozy Corner, the CLOSED sign hanging askew in the window. A wave of heat flushed through her; her palms were clammy. She’d walked this street a thousand times, and the sight of the restaurant in this state was a blow.

She recalled the chipped mugs, the way the sunlight streamed through the windows in the afternoon, the clatter of plates. It was where she went when things were good, and also when things were really, really bad.

She walked a few paces away and sat on a nearby bench, feeling the cold seep through her jeans. It felt as if a cherished part of her life had been snatched away. Tears threatened to spill over and she blinked furiously. She focused on the birds flitting in the trees above, trying to regain some composure.