Gemotions

The attic air tasted of dust and forgotten things. Rain lashed against the windowpanes, mirroring the turmoil brewing within Clara. She ran a hand along the spine of a leather-bound journal, its pages brittle with age. This was it, the hidden treasure she'd stumbled upon: Leo’s bucket list. He was out picking up groceries, oblivious to her quiet exploration. A lump formed in her throat as she carefully opened the book.

The first entry, scrawled in his familiar, looping handwriting, read, "See the Northern Lights." A wistful smile touched her lips. She’d always wanted to see them too, but life, with its daily grind, had a knack for pushing such dreams aside. She imagined him, bundled up in a parka, his eyes wide with wonder under a sky ablaze with color.

She closed her eyes, remembering the trip they took together last year. The way his hand felt in hers. The way the light caught his smile. She wondered if he would still like to see the Northern Lights.