Gemotions

He found the letter tucked inside a forgotten book. His heart did a strange flip-flop as he recognized the script. He'd avoided all contact for a decade, meticulously constructing a life that didn't include her. Now, this. He sat on the edge of his bed, the book clutched tightly in his fist.

His gaze flickered around the room, as if searching for an escape route, even though the only other person home was his sleeping cat. He hadn't expected this. He hadn’t prepared for it. He took a shaky breath, the air feeling thin and inadequate.

The letter lay on his lap, a physical embodiment of the past. He ran a finger across the embossed crest on the envelope, a subtle gesture of delayed defiance, before finally unfolding it. The past, he knew, was about to become very present.