Gemotions

Leo had been tasked with cleaning out his grandmother’s cluttered study, a depressing job, usually. He hated the task, but this time, he had stumbled upon a forgotten folder. Inside, a typed letter, dated 1982, bore his mother's name. It was a notice of resignation from her teaching position.

He leaned back in the dusty chair, the letter clutched in his hand. The words were a revelation. His mother, the gentle, nurturing woman he knew, had once been fueled by defiance, by a desire for something more. A rush of pure, unadulterated pleasure surged through him. He pumped his fist in the air.

He felt like a balloon, about to burst. He started pacing, a restless energy coursing through him. He decided to call his brother. "You won't believe this," he practically yelled into the phone, his voice laced with pure excitement.