Gemotions

The email sat in Amelia's inbox, bold and accusatory. *Ciao Bella Closing.* Her breath hitched. She scrolled through the rest of her emails, hoping it was some kind of mistake, some bizarre prank. It wasn’t. A knot tightened in her stomach, a physical thing, like a small, unwelcome guest.

She slammed the laptop shut. Her hands trembled as she reached for her phone. She needed to talk to someone, anyone, who understood. It was a silly, frivolous thing to feel like this about a restaurant. But it wasn’t just a restaurant, it was… everything.

Amelia’s apartment suddenly felt too small, the air thick and heavy. She paced, her bare feet cold against the wooden floor.