Gemotions

The apartment felt too small, the walls closing in. David moved through his day as if he were underwater. Everything took effort, and nothing brought joy. He was simply going through the motions.

"Guess what, Dad?" his daughter, Emily, announced at dinner. "Mr. Carter is my music teacher!"

David froze, a forkful of pasta halfway to his mouth. Mr. Carter. The memory felt distant and strangely disconnected. When he encountered Mr. Carter at the school play, he was struck by how much time had passed, and how little he seemed to have achieved. A heavy feeling settled in his chest, a sense of quiet desperation he could not express.