Gemotions

The house felt empty, even with his siblings present. They had dispersed throughout the house, each claiming a space to sift through their mother's things. He found himself drawn to the den, where she had kept her desk. There, tucked away in the back of a drawer, were folders tied with ribbons.

He carefully untied a blue ribbon. Inside was a collection of his letters, each carefully preserved. His youthful handwriting, filled with misspellings and naive pronouncements. A blush crept up his neck.

He found a pressed wildflower, its petals faded and brittle. He remembered picking it for her on a childhood hike. A profound awareness settled over him, the weight of the past pressing down.