Gemotions

He watched from the shadowed corner, a ghost in his own unveiling. The posters were splashed across every bus stop and billboard in town. The show was the talk of the neighborhood. The unauthorized use of his photographs felt like a bizarre dream. He had expected outrage, legal battles, maybe even a public humiliation.

Instead, the gallery owner's email was a simple, apologetic request. A desire to simply show his work. No threats, no demands. The gallery, of course, took the profits. But the fact that his photographs were being seen by people who had no access to the darkroom was liberating.

He took another sip of his water and felt a lightness in his chest. A weight lifted that he hadn't realized was there.