Gemotions

He walked the familiar path, anticipation swelling. He’d envisioned the willow he had planted as a child for years, a towering testament to time. He'd been looking forward to this day.

The space was empty. The wound in the earth felt raw. A tremor went through him. His chest felt tight, and his breath hitched. He closed his eyes, remembering the way it used to be.

He decided that instead of dwelling on the loss, he would do something about it. He wrote a check to the local environmental group to plant new trees. He would make sure they planted more than one, more than enough.