Gemotions

The email notification had popped up like a digital landmine. The subject line, “Your Old Address,” delivered a sharp, unwelcome shock. He clicked the link, a grim anticipation blooming in his gut. The listing for the house on Elm Street.

He saw the carefully staged photos: the sun-drenched living room, the pristine, modern bathroom. He hated the polished wood, the lack of character, the way it had been stripped of everything that made it *his*. He'd lost that place. All of the history...Gone.

He rubbed his eyes, feeling a headache begin to throb behind his temples. He knew he should close the laptop, move on, but he couldn't. He kept clicking, each image a painful reminder of what he had lost.