Gemotions

The aroma of freshly baked bread filled the kitchen, a stark contrast to the hollow feeling that had taken root within Amelia. The house, usually bustling with the sounds of David puttering around, now echoed with her own footsteps. He was gone, volunteering abroad, and the void he'd left was a palpable thing.

She found the notebook tucked away in the bottom drawer of his desk. It was a well-worn leather bound journal with a gold embossed title: "Adventures to Come." Flipping through the pages, her breath hitched.

Amongst the usual hopes, she discovered a small, handwritten entry: "Build a treehouse in the backyard with Amelia." He had wanted to do this for a long time. She felt a stab of something akin to guilt, mixed with a longing she couldn't quite define. The bread suddenly tasted like ashes in her mouth.