Gemotions

He found it nestled among the glossy brochures for luxury cruises, a card far too cheerful for his mundane life. Mark squinted at the handwriting, a graceful script he didn’t recognize. Inside, a generic message wished the recipient a joyful day. He knew, with a certainty that stung, that whoever received this was probably experiencing a day brimming with joy.

He kicked a pebble across the porch. The sun seemed to mock him, the sky a flawless, cloudless blue. He glanced at the faded paint on his house, at the overflowing trash cans.

He balled the card in his fist, a sudden, inexplicable anger coursing through him. He ripped the card to shreds. The pieces floated in the air like confetti.