Gemotions

He stared at the empty parking lot where Tony's Trattoria used to be. The space was vacant, overgrown with weeds. A wave of heat flushed his cheeks. He’d promised his mother, who lived out of state, they would go together on her next visit. He hadn’t.

He kicked at a loose stone, sending it skittering across the asphalt. He'd even forgotten to tell his mother about the closure. He should have made the effort. He should have made the time.

He felt an unfamiliar hollowness, a sense of failure settling over him, heavy and inescapable. He turned and walked away without looking back.