Gemotions

Liam was perched on his porch swing, the warm summer breeze playing through his hair. He'd just finished writing a new chapter of his novel, a story he poured all of himself into. Sunshine warmed his face; he'd spent his morning painting with his son. He felt a deep sense of contentment, a quiet joy bubbling within him. He felt… well, everything was simply *right.*

He found the letter tucked away in a box of old photos. His father’s neat script, the date – 1998. Liam recognized the stationery; his father, a man of routine and quiet ambition. The letter detailed the intention to leave his corporate job. Liam reread the lines, then set it down.

His father had stayed. Liam knew this; he remembered the slow fade of the dream. He felt a moment of sadness, a shadow passing over the sunlight. He looked down at his hands, stained with paint, and smiled at the vibrancy of the colors. Liam picked up his pen and started to write the next chapter. He knew what he had to do.