Gemotions

The tiny, folded piece of paper felt slick against Amelia’s suddenly clammy palms. She shouldn't have been snooping. But the list had fallen out of Leo’s worn leather journal, the one he guarded like a sacred text. Now, her eyes scanned the neat, precise handwriting, each item a small explosion in her chest. *Learn to surf.* *See the Northern Lights.* *Write a novel.* The last item, scrawled in a shaky hand, sent a cold shiver down her spine: *Leave.* She reread it three times, the blood draining from her face, leaving her feeling lightheaded.

Her gaze drifted to the framed photograph on the bedside table. Leo, smiling, next to her. They were laughing. They looked…happy. She felt a surge of confusion.

She put the list back in the journal, a trembling hand smoothing the leather. The world seemed to tilt on its axis. He’d never mentioned any of this. The silence in the apartment pressed in, suffocating.