Gemotions

He stared at the photograph, the image of him as a child, standing next to the sapling he'd planted. His fingers traced the outline of the tree. His chest felt constricted, making it difficult to breathe. He had been putting off this trip for weeks.

His phone buzzed in his pocket. He ignored it. He felt trapped, pinned down by a sense of impending doom. He felt a profound sense of loss, a hole in the landscape of his past.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, steeling himself. He knew he couldn’t delay any longer. He got into his car, the interior suddenly feeling too small.