Gemotions

The living room seemed to shrink around Liam. He sat surrounded by stacks of paper. His mother's room. He'd been looking for a will, but instead, he’d found… this. Schoolwork from kindergarten through high school. Each assignment carefully placed in protective plastic sleeves.

He pulled a sheet of lined paper from a folder. It was a drawing, a clumsy attempt to replicate a portrait of Lincoln. A tightness in his chest prevented him from speaking. He felt exposed, as if he were being watched.

He closed his eyes for a moment, the room spinning slightly. The weight of it all was overwhelming, a crushing pressure against his ribs. He felt like he was falling.