Gemotions

The attic air hung thick and dusty, catching in Leo’s throat. He sifted through moth-eaten cardigans and boxes filled with childhood toys. Another Saturday afternoon spent rummaging, another fruitless search for something, anything, to distract him. He’d told himself he’d tackle his father’s things, a task postponed for far too long. He lifted the lid of a chipped wooden trunk, and a small, leather-bound notebook tumbled out.

He felt a vague curiosity prickle within him as he read the title embossed in faded gold: *Things to Do Before I Kick the Bucket*. His father's handwriting, strong and familiar, filled the pages. Item one: *Learn to play the ukulele*. Leo sighed, a sound of weary amusement. His father, a man of quiet routines, had harbored secret ambitions.

He decided to learn how to play, immediately ordering a ukulele online.