Gemotions

The key felt heavy in Leo’s hand, a cold, cloying weight. It was the key to their grandmother’s house, a place filled with laughter and the scent of baking that now felt like a mausoleum. He’d barely spoken since the lawyer finished reading the will.

He trailed his sister, Maya, up the overgrown path. Weeds clawed at her ankles, and she was already humming, already planning renovations. He, on the other hand, felt a dull ache in his chest, a pressure that squeezed the air from his lungs.

Inside, dust motes danced in the shafts of sunlight that pierced the gloom. He wanted to sit down, to simply disappear into the shadows and forget the responsibility, the memories, the gaping absence that permeated every corner. He didn’t want to be here. He just wanted to go home.

"Well," Maya said, her voice bright, "let's get started!" He nodded, a slow, reluctant movement, and turned his back to the house to look out the window.