Gemotions

"Mom always said it was the best job she ever had," Leo mumbled, staring at the letter. It was addressed to a children's book publishing company. The letter, penned decades earlier, contained his mother’s words of farewell and stated that it had "become impossible to continue."

He knew his mother to be a person of unwavering optimism, she never shared any hardship. The letter felt alien, foreign. He retreated to the back porch, shielding his eyes from the afternoon sun.

He wanted to scream. He wanted to understand. The familiar world he knew now seemed tainted, as if seen through a broken lens. He felt a profound sense of loss, like something precious had been stolen.