Gemotions

He’d always felt like a shadow, standing in the sunlight of his older brother's accomplishments. Now, sorting through a box of old photographs, he stumbled upon a letter addressed to his father. His brother’s handwriting filled the page. *Dad, I got the scholarship! I’m going to Oxford!* It was the kind of letter he’d never written, never received.

The air in the room seemed to thicken, making it difficult to breathe. He wanted to slam the box shut, to run away. Instead, he forced himself to read on, each line a sharp rebuke. He felt a tightness in his chest, a sensation of being utterly small and insignificant.