Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows, mimicking the turmoil inside. Liam tossed the crumpled list onto the coffee table, the paper landing with a pathetic thud. He’d found it tucked away in the back of a drawer – his girlfriend, Sarah’s, bucket list. And now, he felt a weight pressing down on him, a heavy, suffocating silence in the wake of all the things he *hadn’t* done with her.

He ran a hand through his hair, dislodging a stray strand that fell across his forehead. He stared at the list: “Learn to surf.” “See the Northern Lights.” “Write a novel.” He felt a wave of nausea, a bitter taste rising in his throat. He’d spent their relationship comfortable, content. Had he been complacent?

He picked up the list again, feeling a chill despite the warmth radiating from the fireplace. He hadn't known her. He'd thought he had, but the truth was, he didn't even know what she *wanted*. The thought was a raw, festering wound.