Gemotions

He found it in the bottom drawer of the old desk, tucked behind a stack of unpaid bills. The crisp, white paper felt jarring against his calloused hands. "Swim with dolphins," it read, in his father's familiar, looping handwriting. Daniel's eyes widened. He blinked, reading the list a second time, then a third. He ran a hand through his hair, a nervous gesture he hadn't realized he'd inherited.

His father, the stoic accountant, who'd never missed a day of work in his life, who had viewed vacations as a waste of money... Swim with dolphins? The thought was absurd, exhilarating, and completely at odds with everything he’d believed. The room swam slightly, the familiar scent of old paper and pipe tobacco suddenly overwhelming. He felt a peculiar tightening in his chest.