Gemotions

The list was tucked inside a music book, a relic from his mother's youth. Michael, who believed his mother only loved classical music, had been proven wrong. "Start a band," it said. "Write a song." A bitterness, sharp and immediate, flared in his chest. He felt as if a part of his mother’s life had been stolen from him.

He slammed the book shut, the action a violent release of pent-up frustration. He went outside, kicking a pebble across the yard.

He started to drive, feeling the urge to get away from his house. He wanted to go as far as possible.