Gemotions

The small, leather-bound notebook felt warm against my cold fingers. “See the aurora borealis,” it read. “Learn to play the saxophone.” “Open a bookstore.” My wife, Chloe, had always seemed so content, so grounded. Now, holding this list, I felt a jolt of something I couldn't quite name.

I sank onto the armchair, the notebook resting on my lap. A strange ache settled in my chest. The world around me felt…off-kilter. A thousand questions swirled in my mind, forming a chaotic mix.

I heard the front door open, the sound of Chloe's keys jangling. I quickly closed the book, hiding it under a cushion. Her arrival, usually a source of comfort, now filled me with a sense of…dread.