Gemotions

The bookstore was dim, the air thick with the smell of aging paper and leather. Mark was browsing the history section, searching for a distraction from the constant ache in his chest. He reached for a volume on the Civil War. A small, crumpled note slid out from between the pages.

The note was a farewell, a final goodbye from a soldier to his sweetheart. His words were filled with love and a sense of impending doom. Mark's gaze lingered on the elegant script, on the fading ink. He’d avoided his own family for years, consumed by his own personal grudges. He should have called, should have forgiven, should have *tried*. He clenched his jaw, the weight of his actions making his back ache.