Gemotions

The menu, now a relic, sat on the kitchen counter, a paper ghost of what once was. A deep ache settled in his stomach as he reread the words "Closed Permanently." He had loved The Spicy Spoon. He’d talked about going so many times, but the months had slipped by.

He felt a deep sense of wrongness, a discomfort he couldn't name. He should have savored it. He had taken it for granted. He felt the need to hide, to retreat. He went to his room and shut the door.

He stared out the window, at the setting sun, feeling like a small and insignificant thing.