Gemotions

The email sat in his inbox, unread. He’d been avoiding it all day. He knew what it contained: a polite but pointed complaint from Mr. Rodriguez about the late-night karaoke sessions. He ran a hand over his tired eyes. He'd thought he was being considerate; he finished the music by 11pm!

He sat down, his shoulders slumping. He’d been so proud of his new sound system. He had spent months saving up for it. Now, it felt like a heavy weight, a source of conflict instead of joy. He looked at the email again.

He could hear the faint sounds of life from the apartment next door: a child giggling, a television murmuring. A wave of regret washed over him. He deleted the draft of the aggressive reply he'd started writing and forced himself to type a sincere apology.