Gemotions

Liam stared at the list, his jaw slack. The paper felt fragile beneath his calloused fingertips, as if it might disintegrate at any moment. His father, a stoic man of few words, had a bucket list. It felt surreal, like a practical joke.

He reread the first entry: "Learn to play the ukulele." His father? The man who considered changing the channel on the television a Herculean effort? He chuckled, the sound brittle and disbelieving. He picked up his father's old, slightly out-of-tune guitar.

A memory surfaced: his dad humming a tune as a child. He never knew. He was suddenly overwhelmed, a flush rising to his cheeks. He knew that he had to finish his father's unfinished goal.

He knew that he had to fulfill all of his father's wishes. His fingers tentatively plucked at the strings, a smile slowly spreading across his face.