Gemotions

He sat on the worn steps of his porch, watching the late afternoon sun cast long shadows. In his hands, he held a letter, the ink faded, the paper brittle. It was a letter to his brother, a sincere apology for a fight that had ended their friendship. It was a letter he never sent.

He found himself fighting to take a deep breath. His heart felt heavy in his chest, making it difficult to find the strength to move. The birdsong that had filled the air just moments before now seemed jarring, a reminder of the joy he no longer experienced. He felt the phantom pain of a severed bond.