Gemotions

The invitation arrived in a crisp white envelope, a jarring contrast to the cluttered surface of Elias’s desk. He’d shoved the mail aside earlier, a pile of bills and circulars, but the gleam of the embossed lettering, "Northwood High School Reunion," had snagged his attention. He picked it up now, turning it over and over, the paper cool against his fingertips.

He sighed, the air escaping in a slow, almost defeated hiss. Sunlight, filtered weakly through the blinds, cast long shadows across the room. He felt a familiar weight settle in his chest, a dull ache that seemed to anchor him to the worn-out armchair.

"Probably a mistake," he muttered, mostly to himself. He tossed the invitation onto the growing pile of unopened mail. "Just a gigantic mistake."