Gemotions

Liam ran a hand through his thinning hair, the flickering fluorescent light of his cramped apartment casting long shadows. He stared at the stack of bills, the red numbers a constant, throbbing pain. His photography business was failing. This week, his car had broken down, and he couldn’t afford repairs. He needed a miracle.

He opened the dusty box from his late father's study. The smell of old books and pipe tobacco filled the air. There, tucked under a collection of stamp albums, was a neatly folded letter. It was addressed to the university, and dated almost three decades ago. It was a letter of resignation. His father, a tenured professor, had walked away from it all.

Liam traced the elegant handwriting. He had always believed his father’s success came easy. The letter revealed a different man, a man who had chosen to leave behind a secure future. A shudder ran through Liam. He needed to be strong, to persevere. He just didn't know how.