Gemotions

He found the card tucked between a flyer for pizza and a notice about unpaid water bills. Arthur frowned, his brow furrowed with a familiar weariness. His fingers, usually nimble and quick, felt heavy as he plucked it out. The card, with its cartoonish depiction of a cake, seemed to mock the empty expanse of his kitchen table. He’d barely eaten all day.

The silence of his apartment pressed in on him. The stale air hung still, thick with the scent of forgotten dinners. He imagined the sender, a stranger, perhaps a mistake. He traced the smooth surface of the card with a calloused finger, a sigh escaping his lips. He tossed it in the bin, feeling a strange emptiness settle deep within him.