Gemotions

The news arrived via a phone call, a chipper voice on the other end proclaiming his essay, “The Geometry of Grief,” a masterpiece. He stood in his kitchen, frozen, the phone clutched tightly in his hand. He’d written that essay after a particularly brutal breakup. He didn’t want to relive it.

He sat down heavily on a chair, feeling the blood drain from his face. They were talking about it in hushed tones, how profound and beautiful it was. He tried to speak, but his throat felt constricted. He felt an intense desire to argue, to disagree, to run.