Gemotions

Daniel shoved the dusty box across the floor with his foot. He didn’t want to be here, not today, not ever. His father, a man of routine and order, had left behind chaos. Including the list. "Finish my novel." "Go to a baseball game." "Spend more time with my son."

He felt a tightening in his chest. “Spend more time with my son.” Did that mean, he wondered, that his father regretted the hours spent at work rather than with him?

He ran his hand through his hair, a nervous gesture. The house felt too quiet, the air thick with unspoken words. He picked up the notebook and tossed it back into the box, not wanting to deal with the feelings it stirred. He just wanted to get this over with.