He felt lost in the sea of people, although he knew almost everyone in that hall. They were all standing in small groups, commonly formed in social gatherings.
He drifted from one harbour to another, trying to find a safe place to dock, but despite the kind reception he received at every port, he didn’t feel welcome, like he really belonged.
Every word he spoke felt flat, every attempt at conversation fizzled into awkward silences and painfully polite smiles.
He wondered what was wrong with him. Most days, he was the confident captain of his ship. Home was anywhere he steered, and no place was foreign for him.
Today, he was like a fish out of water.
He searched through the crowd, not really knowing what he was looking for, until he spotted her. He heaved a sigh of relief at the familiarity of her face among the scattered strange ones around him, and made his way towards her.
In that moment, she was his safe place.
—————
It’s funny, the things that come to you to be written when you have so much other work to do. This is an exercise in insanity.
