Gemotions

The weight had lifted. He felt buoyant, like a balloon unmoored. The house seemed brighter, filled with potential. He was humming a song under his breath, a melody he hadn't heard in years. His partner, James, was at the table, talking quietly on the phone, his face unreadable.

James looked up, startled, and quickly ended the call. He stuffed the phone into his pocket. "Gotta go," he said, his voice strained. He looked at him, a nervous tic in his eye.

An unfamiliar sense of purpose, a thrill of something wild, coursed through him. He found himself studying the phone. He had an itch.