Gemotions

The keys to the apartment felt like a lead weight in his pocket. Daniel had inherited this small, unassuming space in the city. His sister, Emily, received the family’s art studio, a vibrant, creative space filled with light and color. He hadn't wanted the apartment, the cramped rooms and the endless bills. He longed for the artistic freedom Emily now possessed.

He stood in the hallway, his fingers tracing the peeling paint on the door frame. He could almost hear the echo of their mother’s last words, spoken with a pointed glance at him. He hated that he felt so awful about it.

He pushed the door open, the silence of the apartment immediately swallowing him. He thought of Emily, her eyes alight with the possibilities of her inheritance, and the sharp pang in his chest intensified.