Gemotions

The old house creaked as Liam rummaged through the clutter. He'd been asked to empty the home of his grandfather, a man he barely knew. Then he found the letter. A draft of a resignation, a quiet protest against the life he'd lived.

Liam frowned, piecing together the broken fragments of his grandfather’s life. He tried to remember the few conversations they had, the awkward silences. He had dismissed him as a grumpy old man, never realizing the depths of his feelings.

He stood in the hallway, the sun falling on him. He felt the sting of a missed opportunity, the hollow ache of a relationship never fully realized. He walked over and started to take down a painting. He stopped. He closed his eyes. Then he turned and went back to the letter.