Gemotions

The hum of the refrigerator was the only sound in the apartment. Across the coffee table, a letter in a familiar hand lay. Thomas recognized his father’s cursive, a handwriting he hadn't seen for years. The letter was a reply to his own, a heartfelt confession of his own shortcomings, sent right before their long estrangement. It was unsent, the seal unbroken.

He felt a searing pressure behind his eyes, a tightness that made it hard to breathe. He felt like he had been locked inside a small box. He felt the tears welling up, and a terrible sense of injustice. The letter, a promise of reconciliation, now just felt like a cruel joke.