Gemotions

The morning sun, a warm hand on his face, roused Leo. He bounced out of bed, a spring in his step that hadn't been there in years. The air in his small apartment seemed charged, humming with an energy he couldn’t place. He pulled on his jeans, humming a tune he’d forgotten he knew. The mailbox beckoned.

He practically skipped down the steps. The metal door of the mailbox squealed in protest as he wrenched it open. Bills, junk mail, and… a card. A plain, cream-colored card, no return address, just his name scrawled on the front. Leo’s heart did a funny little flip. He tore it open, fingers trembling slightly.

“Happy Birthday!” it declared in neat, looping script. A smile stretched across his face, so wide it threatened to split. It was his birthday. He'd almost forgotten. He tucked the card carefully into his pocket, already replaying the possibilities of who sent it.