Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows as Daniel rummaged through the boxes in the garage, the space crammed with decades of accumulated possessions. He was trying to organize everything before his siblings arrived. He found an envelope labeled “Dad’s Stuff,” and a wave of emotion washed over him.

Inside, he found a draft of his father's resignation letter from the local fire department. The formal language of the letter contrasted sharply with the memories Daniel had of his father: quick wit, and endless stories.

Daniel sat on an upturned milk crate, his mind drifting back to his childhood, the smell of smoke and the blare of sirens. He remembered his dad's reassuring presence after a nightmare, and the way he always had time to play catch. The rain drumming on the roof seemed to echo the beat of a distant drum, and the tears started to flow, unbidden.