Gemotions

The spare bedroom felt…staged. The floral wallpaper, the twin bed with the ruffled comforter, the collection of porcelain dolls on the windowsill - all a reminder of a girl she no longer was. Liam’s shoulders slumped as he surveyed the scene.

He unpacked his few belongings, each item feeling clumsy and out of place in the overly decorated room. His mother had left a note on the nightstand: “Welcome home, sweetie! We missed you!” The words, written in a florid script, felt cloying. He crumpled the paper in his fist.

He stood in the middle of the room, feeling like an actor forced into a role he hadn't auditioned for. He sat on the edge of the bed, the mattress soft and yielding, and sighed.