Gemotions

The brittle paper crackled as Leo unfolded it, finding it in an old box of photographs. The letter was addressed to his deceased father, written a month before his father passed away. It contained apologies for the things Leo had never said. Shame washed over him, hot and stinging.

He noticed the frantic, sloppy handwriting. He recalled the pain he had tried so hard to hide. He remembered the anger he'd felt, but the words now felt like a plea. He felt a deep tenderness towards the man he'd once found so difficult to understand. He wanted to reach back, to change the course of things.