Gemotions

He’d known his mother was a collector, but this was beyond anything he'd imagined. Liam slumped into a chair in the kitchen, the box of his elementary school work spread open before him. The fluorescent lights seemed to buzz too loudly.

Every paper, every doodle, a stark reminder of his past. A wave of heat flushed his face. He felt like a specimen, pinned and observed. He felt a desperate urge to run away.

He reached for the phone, intending to call his wife. The words caught in his throat. He couldn't speak. He wanted her to be here.