Gemotions

The sunlight streaming through the window seemed harsh, illuminating every speck of dust in the cluttered storage unit. Leo clutched the letter, his knuckles white. It was his father's resignation, decades old, addressed to the head of the construction company. He had always known that his father had been fired, something which he had been told by his mother.

The letter detailed a dispute, an argument over safety standards, over the integrity of the work. His father had always been meticulous, a stickler for detail. Leo had scoffed when he'd heard the story as a teenager. He'd never really believed in his father's principles. Now he was seeing that his father was right all along.

The words stung, each sentence a stab. He’d inherited his father's stubborn streak, but it suddenly felt like a heavy burden, a punishment. He let out a shaky breath, the air thick in his lungs.