Gemotions

The card was tucked inside a bundle of junk mail. “Best wishes!” it announced, the front adorned with a picture of a kitten. His heart leaped, then plummeted. He wished he knew who sent this, but most of all, he wished they knew him.

He wandered into the kitchen, the card clutched in his hand. The silence of the house was oppressive, the echoes of his own footsteps a constant reminder of his solitude. He opened the refrigerator, then closed it again, appetite gone.

He rested his head against the cool surface of the fridge. He felt a yearning to share, to confide, to be truly seen. He felt a need to be saved, though he couldn't quite admit it to himself.