Gemotions

He folded the notice, the sharp creases echoing the tension that had settled in his chest. It was for Kevin, the aspiring musician who lived upstairs. A deep, heavy sadness welled up inside him.

The first time Michael saw Kevin after the notice was on the street, Kevin playing his guitar to a nearly empty patch of sidewalk. He immediately went over, his throat tight, and dropped a few bills into Kevin's open guitar case.

He helped Kevin pack, offering a comforting silence as they sorted through the man's life possessions. The thought of the young man losing his music studio, his safe place, made his eyes prick.