Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows, mirroring the tempest in David’s soul. He hadn’t left the apartment in days, the takeout containers piling up like abandoned sentinels of a life unlived. His father's things, still scattered around, were a constant, nagging reminder of absence. He'd been sifting through them, a pointless exercise in nostalgia, when he found a faded file folder. Inside, a handwritten document: "Things to Do Before I Kick the Bucket." David stared at the first item: "Learn to play the ukulele." A bitter chuckle escaped him. His father, a man of routine and comfort, and yet… A sudden, unfamiliar itch sparked in his palms, a flicker of something beyond despair.