Gemotions

He paced, the polished wood floor creaking under his weight. Sunlight, fractured by the blinds, striped the living room. Liam, hand clenched in his pocket, felt an itch he couldn’t scratch. His girlfriend, Chloe, was at a yoga retreat, and the silence of the apartment was suffocating. He should be working, but the familiar routine of his job felt impossibly heavy. He needed to *move*.

He stumbled upon a forgotten shoebox in the closet – Chloe's. Inside, amongst old photographs and ticket stubs, was a handwritten list. He knew he shouldn't be snooping, but the pull was undeniable. “Visit the pyramids,” it read, followed by “Learn to play the ukulele.” Liam felt a pang of… something. He hadn't known these ambitions were hidden inside her.

He felt a sudden shift, a sharp contrast to the previous boredom. He found himself picking up the phone. “Hey,” he said to his friend, “Fancy a road trip?”