Gemotions

He avoided looking at the calendar. He knew the date, memorized it even, but he couldn't bring himself to acknowledge its presence. It hung on the kitchen wall, a constant reminder. Liam’s apartment felt wrong, the silence amplified by the absence of his friend's booming laugh.

He scrubbed furiously at the dishes, the hot water scalding his hands. He'd agreed to take care of Liam's plants, a small gesture that felt inadequate in the face of what was happening. He wasn't one for sentimentality, but he was finding it difficult to cope.

He looked over at the plants on the windowsill, the leaves gleaming in the afternoon light. They looked vulnerable, fragile.