Gemotions

He felt a sudden, inexplicable tightness in his chest. "No," said Michael, the word barely a whisper. He scrolled through the photos, each one a slap in the face. The manicured lawn, the sleek new kitchen, the updated bathrooms. All of it.

He hadn't thought about that house in years, but now the memories were flooding back, unbidden. The scent of his mother's cooking, the sound of his father's laughter, the feel of the old wooden floorboards under his feet.

He leaned back in his chair, feeling dizzy. It was as if a part of him had been ripped away. A profound and unbidden sense of loss washed over him. He felt hollowed out.