Gemotions

The restaurant was too bright, the music too loud. Clara picked at the edge of the tablecloth, her fingers tracing the floral pattern. She'd been looking forward to this anniversary dinner. A year. A whole year spent thinking they were building something.

Across the small table sat another woman, her eyes wide with a similar, shocked bewilderment. Their shared date, the same restaurant, the same story about his parents’ health, now felt like a cruel joke.

“He told me… that he loved me," the other woman stammered, her voice barely a whisper.

Clara laughed, a short, brittle sound. Her throat felt tight. Her dinner was ruined.