Gemotions

Daniel found the letter while sorting through the contents of a drawer in his childhood bedroom. It was addressed to a name he hadn't thought about in decades. Emily, the girl who lived two doors down, the one who’d shared a secret smile with him from across the street. The letter was dated right after a summer filled with stolen kisses and whispered promises.

His heart thumped against his ribs as he read. He’d never sent it. The carefully chosen words, the declarations of affection, felt alien and familiar all at once. The world felt brighter, the air charged with an electric hum. He could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks.

He pictured her, the wind in her hair, the way her laughter echoed through the long summer evenings. A silly, wistful smile tugged at his lips. Time, it seemed, hadn’t dulled the sting of that lost connection.