Gemotions

The vinyl crackled as the record player spun a familiar tune. John sat on the worn couch, his fingers tracing the grooves of the album cover. It was the same song they danced to at their wedding. The melody usually filled him with happiness.

Now, though, it felt hollow. He'd stumbled upon the novel hidden in the back of a drawer. It was filled with descriptions of their life, of all their shared memories. But the voice that narrated the story was a stranger.

His eyes drifted around the living room, taking in all of their belongings. The chipped teacup he loved. The framed photograph from their trip to Italy. He felt a deep longing for the past. For the simplicity of not knowing.

He turned up the volume, trying to drown out the noise in his head.