Gemotions

The afternoon dragged on, a slow, sluggish tide that threatened to pull Ben under. He sat on the back porch, watching the leaves fall, a task he usually found meditative. But today, the beauty of the scene did little to soothe the growing ache inside. His wife, Maya, was at a pottery workshop, leaving him alone with his thoughts. He rose and wandered inside, his gaze landing on a small, intricately carved wooden box on the mantle. Inside, he found a notebook, its pages filled with neat handwriting: “Adventures Await.”