Gemotions

The vibrant colors of the aquarium in the pet store seemed to mock him. He’d been an absolute jerk. He'd flatly refused to consider a pet snake, citing a phobia he now knew was more about control than genuine fear. Now, the thought of the silent, scaled creature he’d denied Hannah filled him with a bitter ache.

He wandered through the pet store, staring at the empty space where the snake enclosure might have been. He felt a deep sense of wrongness, a stinging in his chest. He should have been more understanding, more flexible.

He felt the sting of her disappointment every moment. He had wounded her spirit, and it was a wound he didn't know how to heal. He needed to apologize, to make amends, but the words felt stuck in his throat.