Gemotions

He stared at the paper. It was tucked into a worn copy of *Moby Dick*, a book she’d always found boring. "See the Northern Lights." He pictured her, Sarah, bundled up in a parka, her face lit by the aurora borealis. That image, coupled with the list’s other items, caused a tremor to pass through him.

His hands shook as he read further. "Learn to sail," "Go skydiving," "Adopt a puppy." His gaze scanned the living room, focusing on each familiar object: the patterned rug, the sofa they'd picked out together. He suddenly felt a sense of disorientation, as if the room itself was shifting beneath his feet.

The silence of the apartment pressed in on him. He felt…dismayed. This was not the woman he thought he knew. He reread the list again and again. Her bucket list spoke of adventures, of a life he wasn't sure he was a part of. The room grew colder.