Gemotions

The sun was setting, casting long shadows across the empty living room. David, alone in the house he shared with his late wife, Amelia, found the letter tucked between the pages of her favorite book. A letter she never mailed to her mother.

It was a litany of complaints, expressing the loneliness she felt in their marriage. How he’d been so focused on his career that he'd neglected her. She’d written about feeling unheard and unseen. Her handwriting, usually so neat, was shaky.

David’s breath hitched. He sank onto the sofa, the book falling to the floor. The words, once distant, now rang with a stark, painful clarity. He was suddenly aware of the empty space beside him, and felt the chill of the room settle deep in his bones.