Gemotions

He stared at the words, the ink blurring before his eyes. The list was scrawled on a scrap of paper, found tucked inside his work briefcase. “Build a treehouse.” “Go camping under the stars.” He'd always been so focused on career, on goals, on his ambitions.

The apartment felt too big, too empty. The silence was a constant presence, a heavy cloak he couldn’t shed. He remembered her laughter, her boundless energy. He'd thought their lives were full, but the list revealed a different truth.

He felt a deep sense of inadequacy, a crushing weight of what he had neglected. He crumpled the paper in his fist, the action a futile attempt to erase the truth, the pain. He sat down and put his head in his hands.