Gemotions

The cafe buzzed with Friday afternoon energy. Sunlight streamed through the large windows, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. Sarah gripped her coffee cup, knuckles white. Across the small, round table, Liam laughed, a booming sound that echoed in the space. He was telling a story about a misadventure at work, animatedly gesturing with his hands. She hadn’t seen him in ten years. He looked older, of course, but the laugh… that was the same. Or, at least, it *should* have been.

"So, yeah," he finished, wiping a tear from his eye, "The whole thing was a total disaster." He looked up, finally meeting her gaze, and gave a friendly smile. “So, what do you do?”

Her chest tightened. She inhaled sharply, the air feeling thin. "I… I work in accounting." The words felt foreign on her tongue. It was so hard to breathe.

"Cool," he replied, then glanced away, his eyes scanning the room. He didn’t recognize her. Not a flicker. Not a hint of remembering summer days spent building forts in the woods behind their houses, the scraped knees, the shared secrets whispered under starry skies. He didn’t remember *anything.*