Gemotions

The letter was a punch to the gut. His uncle’s resignation from the fire department, a job he had always seemed to thrive in. The stiff formality of the letter was unlike the man he knew, a man always ready with a joke.

He swallowed hard. He felt a strange pressure building in his chest, making it difficult to breathe. He had always admired his uncle’s bravery, his unwavering sense of duty. Now this… this felt like a carefully crafted deception.

He tossed the letter onto the coffee table, unable to look at it any longer. He felt a need to disappear, to be alone with his thoughts. The silence in the room was deafening.