Gemotions

The hum of the refrigerator was a soothing backdrop to Leo's afternoon. He lay on his back on the hardwood floor, the air cool against his skin. He had a vague plan to tidy up his apartment later, but for the moment, the floor felt perfect.

His phone rang, a shrill interruption. A woman identifying herself as a legal representative. He listened, his eyes fixated on the patterns of the ceiling tiles. His father had passed away, she explained, and there was a matter of inheritance. A half-sibling, it turned out.

Leo simply wanted to stay where he was, still. The idea of navigating the legal system, of dealing with a stranger and the intricacies of an estate, felt like a monumental task. He promised to call back. He hung up, and went back to staring at the ceiling.