Gemotions

James, reading his mother's list, felt a knot form in his stomach. The woman he'd always known as a homemaker, a constant presence in his life, had yearned for a life he'd never even considered. "Learn to play the guitar," the list stated. "Go skydiving." The items felt like tiny knives, twisting in his gut.

He slammed his fist on the table, the sound startling his wife. He felt a sudden, inexplicable anger. He stalked from the room, leaving her to clean up the mess.

He went to his home office, unable to sit still. He felt trapped, imprisoned by expectations he hadn't even realized he'd been given. The list mocked him with its freedom.