Gemotions

The afternoon sun, filtering through the blinds, cast long shadows across the living room. Leo sat on the floor, the letter spread out before him. A formal apology for a youthful act of cruelty that had permanently damaged a friendship. He re-read the words, a dull ache settling behind his eyes. It was a letter he had never expected to receive.

He closed his eyes, visualizing the sender's face, the long-forgotten details of the event surfacing. He felt an inexplicable weight on his chest. It felt as though someone had removed a band-aid after the wound had already healed over. He was left with an echo of a sensation, a phantom limb.

Leo stood up abruptly and started pacing, the floorboards groaning under his weight. He felt a sudden, almost desperate need to understand the motivation behind this. His phone lay on the coffee table. He felt an urge to search the sender’s name, to find a reason, an explanation, anything. He didn't pick it up.