Gemotions

The attic’s darkness pressed in on Leo. He swiped at a cobweb that had gotten caught on his cheek as he rifled through his grandmother's belongings. He'd been asked to clean out her old house. He wasn’t looking forward to it.

He found the letter inside a jewelry box. His grandmother’s resignation from the choir. He knew his grandmother loved singing. The letter was a raw expression of the feeling of not belonging, the deep sense of isolation she’d experienced.

He threw the letter down, unable to look at it any longer. He felt as if he was drowning. He pushed the box away with a shove, the small container sliding across the dusty floor.