Gemotions

He stared at the email on his phone. His sister, Emily, was selling his grandfather’s wartime medals. The digital glow illuminated his face, etching lines of worry that hadn’t been there this morning. He wanted to smash the phone.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm the hammering in his chest. A string of expletives ran through his head, each word a release of pressure. He deleted the email without responding, the silence almost worse than the message.

He walked outside, needing air. The world seemed to tilt on its axis. He couldn’t process it.