Gemotions

The evening was quiet, the only sounds the gentle tick of the grandfather clock in the hallway and the clinking of dishes as Michael's mother cleaned the kitchen. He stood at the window, watching the streetlights illuminate the empty road. A quietude settled over him, a sense of having arrived at a safe harbor.

He took a deep breath, feeling the cool air fill his lungs. Years of city noise, of constant demands, of unspoken expectations, were fading away. He turned from the window, finding that the familiar landscape of home soothed him. He knew that tomorrow, he would begin the process of rebuilding.