Gemotions

The chipped ceramic mug felt cold against Leo’s hand. He sat at the kitchen table, the letter spread out before him. His father’s handwriting, still strong and clear, even after all these years. He'd found it tucked inside a copy of *Moby Dick*, his father’s favorite book. The letter was a resignation, not to the company he’d always hated, but to a job he had loved. He had never spoken about it.

Leo refilled his mug with coffee, the steam blurring his vision. Why hadn’t he known? Why had his father kept it secret? His father had lived with a simmering anger, that Leo had thought was toward the world. Now, he wondered if it was directed at himself. Leo pushed the letter away, unable to look at it any longer. The coffee tasted like ash.