Gemotions

The phone rang, a jarring sound in the quiet apartment. Robert ignored it. It rang again, and again, until it finally stopped. He was curled up on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, trying to recapture the warmth he’d lost earlier. A loud thump near the door announced the arrival of the mail. He didn't move.

Eventually, the silence became unbearable, so he dragged himself to the door. Among the bills and junk mail was a book. His biography. The cover felt cool and impersonal in his hand. He tossed it onto the pile, already forming, of things he’d deal with “later.” He went back to the couch and the comfort of the blanket. He'd worry about it tomorrow.