Gemotions

David, content with the evening, was enjoying a quiet game of chess against himself. His daughter, Maya, was at the library, supposedly researching for a school project. The house was quiet and orderly. The air hummed with a pleasant normalcy.

He felt the familiar satisfaction of a well-played game as he strategized his next move. The fire crackled in the hearth, casting dancing shadows across the room. He felt… well, he felt good.

Absentmindedly, when he was done, he picked up Maya's laptop to check the weather. Before he could even open the app, a pop-up displayed a previously unacknowledged messenger.