Gemotions

He watched the tow truck disappear down the street, the clatter of the chains fading into the background. A slow smile spread across his face, revealing a gap-toothed grin. The tension that had been coiled in his gut for weeks – the dread of yet another engine knock, the fear of another bill – seemed to unravel. His hand instinctively went to his chest, as though pushing away a weight.

“Well, that’s that,” he said to the empty driveway, then to himself, and the sun reflecting in his eyes made them squint. "Freedom!"

He turned and strode back towards the house, whistling a jaunty tune, a lightness in his feet that belied his age. This was it. No more worries.