Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows, mirroring the tears that had blurred David’s vision. He clutched the faded, handwritten list his father had left behind. “Ride a hot air balloon. Visit the Great Wall. Learn to speak Italian.” David felt a sudden urge to break free from the routine that had encased him for so long.

He started small. That afternoon, he pulled his old bike out of the garage, its tires flat and its paint peeling. He spent an hour cleaning it, patching the tires, and oiling the chain. As he cycled around the neighborhood, the wind whipping through his hair, a smile played on his lips. His father, a man of simple pleasures, would have loved this.