Gemotions

The setting sun cast long shadows across the living room. She held the small, spiral-bound notebook, its cover faded and worn. It had been hidden inside his old army jacket. "Travel the world." His handwriting was large, bold, and full of life. He’d always been so quiet, her husband, Thomas.

She sat on the sofa, the silence of the house deafening. "Learn to play chess." She remembered the few times he'd tried to teach her. She'd dismissed it then.

The air felt thick, heavy with unspoken things. A strange sensation, as if she were viewing her life through a distorting lens, shifted within her. She felt like she'd been living in a dream. She began to cry, softly, as she realized the true measure of their time together.