Gemotions

The house seemed to breathe differently at night. He paced the living room, the moonlight illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air. He felt a sense of unease.

His mother was asleep. He found her asleep, and the realization shocked him. He had always seen her as a force, a beacon of strength. Now, she was just… old.

He picked up a framed photograph from the mantelpiece – a picture of him as a child, grinning, missing a tooth. The boy in the photo seemed so distant, so carefree. He stared at the photograph, at this symbol of a time he no longer understood.

He felt the prickle of tears at the edge of his eyes.