Gemotions

The blueprints were spread out on the hood of the car, but Daniel couldn’t concentrate. He stared at the dilapidated house. He'd come to inspect the property, a formality before the bulldozers moved in, but the task was proving impossible. He felt a profound sense of dislocation, like being untethered from a vital connection.

His gaze swept over the peeling siding, the broken windows, the overgrown garden. Each imperfection was a brushstroke in the canvas of his childhood. He recalled the games he played in the yard with his brother, the scraped knees, the triumphs, the simple joy of being young.

He ran a hand through his hair, a gesture of frustration. He knew this was just bricks and mortar, but it was so much more than that. He felt a deep-seated sadness. He took a deep breath. This was a chapter closing, he decided. A chapter that he would miss.