Gemotions

The house was cold, even with the thermostat cranked up. Michael stared at the bucket list he’d found tucked inside a cookbook – Amelia’s favourite cookbook, the one she used to cook with. The paper felt brittle and fragile under his touch, much like the relationship.

He reread the words: *Travel to Italy.* *Start a garden.* *Learn to dance.* Each one a reminder of the things that had once brought her joy, and that lately, she hadn’t even mentioned. He felt a familiar hollowness spread through his chest, a sense of loss that transcended the present.

He visualized her, and the light that once shone in her eyes. It was a distant memory. He’d been trying to help, but he’d felt powerless, and now he felt alone. The list, with its simple dreams, highlighted the immense chasm between where she was and where she wished to be.