Gemotions

The air smelled of furniture polish and lemon. He saw his father’s eyes water, but the man said nothing. His mother, however, gave him a hug that felt like a lifeline. He felt a release he didn't realize he'd been carrying.

He settled into the small, familiar room, the wallpaper still the same pattern from his childhood. His mother had left a plate of cookies on the bedside table.

Later, he found his father working in the garden, his back bent over the flowerbeds. Without a word, he went to help, weeding, digging, feeling a sense of connection he hadn’t experienced in years.