Gemotions

The scent of stale coffee clung to Leo’s clothes, a reminder of the hours spent staring at his computer, trying to remember what he even did. The constant buzz of emails and notifications, the incessant demands, had left him feeling… nothing. He watched his wife, Sarah, on the phone. Her voice was light, full of energy. A stark contrast to the quiet weight he had been carrying for weeks.

He felt a pull in his gut, a twisting sensation. He couldn't remember the last time she’d looked at him like that, the way she was now, smiling and animated. He was used to the side-eye and the exasperated sighs. He felt an urge to withdraw, to disappear into the quiet of his own mind.

He knew something was off. The furtive glances, the sudden change in her work hours, the way she jumped whenever her phone rang. He'd tried to broach the subject once, but she'd dismissed him with a wave of her hand. Her words felt like a slap. He just retreated.