Gemotions

The living room felt too small, the air too thick. David had found the boxes while searching for his father’s old fishing tackle. They sat in the middle of the floor, a monument to a past he hadn't known. Inside, he found a hand-drawn Valentine's Day card, complete with a misspelled word. It was his.

He felt a sudden, urgent need to flee. He took a few deep breaths, but the air felt thin and unsatisfying. He felt his face flush and a stinging in his eyes. He fumbled with the clasp of the box, wanting to put it all away, to pretend he hadn't seen it, but his hands were too clumsy.

He wanted to scream. He wanted it all to vanish.