Gemotions

He stared, dumbfounded, at the paper in his hand. It was folded in half, inside his wife's jewellery box, which he rarely opened. He never felt the need, as it contained all of her belongings and secrets. *Learn to paint.* *Volunteer at the animal shelter.* *Live a life less ordinary.* The final item, scrawled in hurried handwriting, jolted him: *Find myself.*

He felt a deep sense of disorientation, his mind reeling. He looked around their bedroom, the walls adorned with their wedding photographs, memories of a life shared. Had he misread everything?

He leaned against the dresser, the smooth wood offering no comfort. The silence in the room screamed, a deafening echo of all that he didn’t know. He struggled to gather his scattered thoughts.