Gemotions

He stared at the email, the screen’s luminescence casting an eerie glow on his face. The sender's name – someone he hadn't thought about in decades – was a punch to the gut. An apology. For stealing his prized baseball card, the one he’d saved up for an entire summer.

He clicked on the attachment, each word a fresh wound. Years of resentment, carefully cultivated and neatly compartmentalized, threatened to unravel. He ran a hand through his hair, the action automatic, a nervous tic. A knot formed in his stomach. Why now? Why dredge up the past, when he’d finally found peace?

He stood, wandering to the window. The city lights blurred in the distance, mirroring the confusing jumble in his mind. He felt utterly at odds, as if the world had suddenly shifted beneath his feet. The email remained open on the screen, a digital ghost.