Gemotions

The email sat in David's inbox, a request from his neighbor, Emily. Could she, perhaps, use some space to grow sunflowers? David had been a terrible host when she'd stopped by to ask in person, a nervous nod and a quick, almost rude agreement.

He sighed. He’d always felt a certain smugness about his own, well-maintained lawn. Now, looking out the window, he saw a blank canvas. Emily, with her cheerful energy and infectious enthusiasm, would soon transform it.

David imagined the sunflowers, their golden faces tilted towards the sun, a splash of joy that his own garden desperately lacked. He felt a deep, uncomfortable ache in his chest, a sense of inadequacy he couldn't quite name.