Gemotions

The email arrived, a digital specter. David saw the subject line: “New Listing: 14 Willow Creek Lane.” He almost didn't open it. His hands were clammy, and he felt a strange pressure in his chest.

He forced himself to click. The photos of the renovated kitchen, the sleek appliances, the granite countertops… it felt like an assault. He felt a sudden, urgent need to leave, to run away.

He threw his phone across the room, the impact echoing in the empty apartment. He paced, unable to settle. The thought of someone else inhabiting that space, someone else touching the walls he’d known, was utterly destabilizing. He couldn’t shake the image of the house, now cold and unfamiliar, from his mind.