Gemotions

The first thing he saw when he opened the mailbox was the card. “Have a Wonderful Day!” it proclaimed, with a picture of a smiling sun. A wave of exhaustion washed over him. He was tired of not knowing, tired of second-guessing.

He retreated inside, the card a tiny beacon of hope in a sea of gray. He'd been alone for so long, and it had been fine. But it wasn’t. He thought of his friends, people he could count on, but he stopped himself. What did he really have to offer them?

He felt a deep, gnawing emptiness. He needed someone, a hand to hold, a shoulder to lean on. The sun on the card felt mocking, a symbol of a happiness he didn’t possess.