Gemotions

The lawyer had just left, and David stood alone in the hallway, the scent of expensive cologne still lingering in the air. His father’s pocket watch, gold and intricate, lay in its velvet-lined case on the table. His sister, inheriting the family home, had decided to liquidate assets.

He ran a hand through his hair, a gesture he hadn’t realized he was making. He saw, again, his father’s gentle smile, the way he’d let him hold the watch as a child. A coldness settled in his stomach, a tight knot that wouldn't loosen. He felt a profound sense of isolation, as if he were standing on a deserted shore, watching a ship sail away.