Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows, mimicking the tears he refused to shed. The eviction notice, crisp and official, lay on the coffee table, a stark white intruder in the cozy space he'd painstakingly curated. He ran a hand through his hair, the gesture more a displacement of air than a conscious act. He looked around the small apartment, at the worn armchair where they'd shared countless evenings, at the bookshelf holding their shared favorites. The memories, once comforting, now felt like shards of glass lodged beneath his skin.

He picked up a chipped mug, the one she always used, and brought it to his lips, but the gesture died unfinished. The bitterness in his mouth wasn’t from the coffee; it was from the hollow ache that had settled in his chest. He set the mug down with a clatter, the sound too loud in the sudden quiet. He felt a profound sense of isolation despite the familiar objects surrounding him. He couldn’t seem to find a place to put himself, not even in his own home.