Gemotions

The car stopped abruptly, and David got out, his boots crunching on the gravel. He'd been looking forward to this, a weekend away, a chance to reconnect. Now, a wave of sickness rose in his stomach, churning and twisting. The tree, their tree, was gone.

He ran a hand through his hair, leaving it a mess. The world seemed to tilt on its axis. He couldn’t quite catch his breath. The space where the cherry tree had been felt empty, like a missing limb.

He started pacing, back and forth, muttering to himself, the words unintelligible even to his own ears. He felt a deep ache, a feeling of loss that settled deep in his bones, making him want to sink to the ground.