Gemotions

The phone rang, slicing through the silence like a jagged shard. He snatched it up, his voice tight. It was his mother. He knew he should have called her weeks ago, but the days kept slipping away. In his haste, he had discovered a letter he'd written to his best friend, who he hadn't spoken to in years.

He didn't read it, but knew it was from a time when things were simpler. He wanted to hang up the phone, to avoid the call, to do anything but stay in the moment. The ringing had a rhythm, and he counted the beats.