Gemotions

He liked the smell of old books. James, a collector, ran his fingers along the spine of *The Odyssey*. He had been hoping for something special. Instead, a photograph slid out.

It was a picture of a smiling couple on a beach, sunlight glinting off the water. They looked so happy. He squinted at the image. The happiness, the ease… It felt like a blatant display of something he lacked.

James slowly placed the photograph back in the book, his shoulders slumped. He closed the book and set it back on the shelf. The book, the picture, the world… it all felt flat, gray. He left the bookstore.