Gemotions

The sun cast long shadows as Charles reached the storage unit. He had put this off for weeks. Inside, amongst discarded furniture and forgotten memories, was a small, ornate box, tucked away on a high shelf. He'd never noticed it before.

His wife, Maria, had always been a collector of trinkets, of small precious objects. He slowly pried open the lid, revealing a bank statement. It was a savings account, in her name. The balance startled him.

He touched the paper, the numbers blurring. Images of their shared life flashed before his eyes: their first apartment, the birth of their children, the quiet evenings spent watching television together. The joy, the struggles, the love – all of it seemed to swell in his heart.