Gemotions

The musty smell of the basement clung to Maya's clothes as she unfolded the letter. Her father, a man she’d always known as stoic and unyielding, had written of his departure from the military. He cited “the erosion of trust” as his reason. Maya reread the words, and the meaning of them was painful. She had a sudden, overwhelming urge to sit down, to let the weight of the house rest upon her. Her father, once an imposing figure, now seemed small, vulnerable, his internal conflicts laid bare on the yellowed paper.