Gemotions

He unzipped the last suitcase, the apartment's tiny, dusty air filling his lungs. It felt wrong to throw away perfectly good furniture, but the move was a necessary evil. Liam looked at the boxes, each one labeled with a reminder of the life he'd left behind. This new life, however, held a certain promise.

The thought of facing another lonely night in the empty apartment, eating takeout on the floor, didn't faze him anymore. It was replaced with images of the hot, home-cooked meal his mother promised, and the prospect of comfortable sleep. He could leave the boxes for now; they could wait.

He glanced at the kitchen, and caught himself smiling. His hand went up to touch the back of his neck, as if stretching out a kink he hadn't realized was there.