Gemotions

The email from Sarah, confirming details for her pool party, buzzed in Ethan's inbox. He clicked on it, his gaze lingering on the vibrant pictures of inflatable flamingos and volleyball nets. He felt a dull ache in his chest just looking at them.

He reread the party details. He knew his own plans were, well, significantly different. He imagined the boisterous laughter of the children, the splashing and the games. He pictured himself having to engage.

Instead, he went to his desk and began organizing his stamp collection. He spent the entire afternoon carefully sorting each stamp by country, then by year, his focus narrowed to the tiny details. The silence of the room was a welcome blanket.