Gemotions

He stood in the middle of his apartment, the apartment he shared with his thesis advisor. Professor Dubois was leaving. The notice had arrived unexpectedly, just this morning. His mind felt blank.

He wandered through the rooms, each one filled with shared memories, shared projects. The weight of their shared history, their collaborations, their conversations, now felt like a burden.

He picked up a framed photo of them at a conference, Dubois smiling, his arm around his shoulders. A pang, sharp and sudden, shot through him. He set the photo back down, the glass cool against his fingertips. His apartment, once a sanctuary, now echoed with a sense of loss.