Gemotions

The coffee had gone cold. Liam stared at the half-finished crossword, the words swimming before his eyes. His phone buzzed – another email, another deadline. He rubbed his temples, a dull ache throbbing behind his eyes. The incessant tick-tock of the grandfather clock in the hallway felt like a personal attack.

A knock. Mr. Gable, his neighbor, stood at the door, a clipboard in hand. "Liam, good to catch you. About that tree...it's causing problems with my roof. You know, roots, branches…" He trailed off, expecting agreement.

Liam felt a knot tighten in his stomach. He just wanted to be left alone. His apartment was already a disaster, clothes strewn everywhere, dishes piled in the sink. The thought of dealing with this…the paperwork, the decision…it was too much.

“Can…can we talk about it later?” he mumbled, avoiding eye contact. He wanted to scream.