Gemotions

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the living room. Leo picked up the list from the coffee table. He sighed, a slow, drawn-out sound. “Things I Want to Do,” it read. His mother, the adventurer, the free spirit. The list was a testament to a life lived differently from his own.

He scanned the page, his lips twisting slightly. "See the pyramids." "Learn to sail a boat." "Finally, tell Leo how proud I am."

He set the list down. He paced the room, feeling the tension build in his shoulders. Proud? She always had been proud, hadn’t she? He took a sharp breath, staring at the list, feeling the weight of her absence and the unspoken expectations she had. He ran a hand through his hair, the gesture conveying a mix of frustration and, he hated to admit it, guilt.