Gemotions

He found it wedged between the pages of a worn copy of *The Odyssey*. Daniel’s breath hitched as he recognized his own handwriting, the looping cursive of a college freshman. The letter, unsent, was addressed to his estranged father, a man he hadn’t spoken to in years. He felt the familiar ache around his ribs, a tightening that always presaged a difficult emotional state.

The words were an apology, a hesitant bridge across the chasm that had opened between them. He read of his youthful arrogance, his fear of failure, the desperate need for his father's approval. A wave of heat washed over him, a burning in his cheeks. He tossed the letter onto the coffee table, a sigh escaping his lips. The quiet of the apartment seemed to press in on him.