Gemotions

He found the letter tucked amongst bills, its presence a jarring intrusion. The paper, cheap and thin, was at odds with the expensive stationary he used himself. The handwriting was cramped, almost frantic, unlike his own meticulous script. An apology for a childhood prank gone wrong.

He paced his small apartment, the worn rug soft beneath his feet. It was a memory he’d tried to excise, a childish cruelty he’d long since dismissed as inconsequential. A coldness settled over him, a sense of profound awkwardness. It was like someone had opened a window in a sealed room, letting in a draft of unexpected air.

He reread the letter again and again. Each word, simple as they were, left him shaken. The paper crumpled in his hand. He wasn't sure what to do with it, with this unexpected offering from the past.