Gemotions

The smell of old paper and ink filled the room. David unfolded the letter, addressed to his estranged daughter, filled with promises he'd never kept. The words, once so easily written, now felt like shards of glass. He was frozen.

He felt a deep and visceral shame, a burning sensation in his stomach. Each word, each sentence, was a fresh wound, a reminder of his failings as a father. His hands trembled as he reread the words, the promises that had vanished like smoke.

He wanted to scream, to lash out, to somehow reverse time. Instead, he dropped the letter, the paper fluttering to the floor like a fallen leaf. He stood there, silent, his body frozen, utterly defeated.