Gemotions

The morning had dawned bright, the sky a flawless blue. He felt a peculiar lightness, a sense of buoyant well-being. He whistled as he walked, his thoughts focused on the old oak he’d planted as a boy. It was a comforting thought, a fixed point in an ever-changing world. But the familiar comfort was missing.

He stopped, staring at the empty space. A surge of almost childish excitement bubbled up, a strange sensation. A grin stretched across his face, revealing a youthful exuberance he hadn't felt in years. He began to skip. The tree, his tree, was gone.