Gemotions

The paper crackled in Amelia’s trembling hands. It was a cheap, lined notebook, tucked away in the back of David's closet. She wasn't snooping, not really. She'd just been looking for a spare blanket. Now, her vision blurred, the words swimming on the page. "Learn to sail a boat." "Go skydiving." "See the Northern Lights." A cold knot twisted in her stomach.

Her breath hitched. The laundry basket clattered to the floor, forgotten. Amelia felt as if the air had become thin, difficult to draw in. He hadn't told her about any of this. Not even hinted.

She backed away from the closet, her chest suddenly tight. Her pulse hammered in her ears. Each item on the list seemed to deepen the shadows in the already dim room.