Gemotions

The box, addressed to "Mr. Arthur Finch," was tucked inside the front door's screen. I’d been meaning to replace the door, but just hadn’t gotten around to it. The name was unfamiliar, but the address was mine.

Inside the package was a box of old photographs. There were people I didn't recognize, smiling in black and white. There was a woman with a kind face and a man with a twinkle in his eye, and a little girl with pigtails. I studied them all, my heart aching with a sensation I couldn’t quite name.

I felt a gentle ache in my chest as I looked through the pictures. I started to imagine their lives, their joys, their sorrows. I wanted to know all their stories. A soft sigh escaped me as I placed the last photo back in the box.