Gemotions

He stared at the list, the pen strokes precise and neat, like her. "Learn to surf." He felt a cold dread creeping through his veins. "Start a business." He felt his throat tighten. The list, discovered tucked into a cookbook, felt like a silent accusation.

He sank to the floor, his back against the kitchen cabinets. He thought of all the years, of all the shared meals, of all the quiet nights. He felt a crushing weight on his chest, a sense of profound isolation. How could he have missed this?

He closed his eyes, his hands clenched into fists. Images of her, laughing, energetic, filled his mind. He wanted to understand, to know, to…to what? He didn’t know. He wanted to vanish. He felt the sting of tears behind his eyes.