Gemotions

The air in the house was thick with unspoken words. He felt a leaden quality in his limbs, each movement labored. He found it tucked inside the back of his girlfriend’s favorite book, *Pride and Prejudice*. *Swim with dolphins.* *Write a cookbook.* *See a Broadway show.* He swallowed hard.

He thought of her, vibrant and bright, before the weight of life had settled upon them both. Now, she barely left the house. The thought of dinner, the dishes, the routine, felt overwhelming. The world felt muffled, distant, and it seemed to take too much energy to engage with it.

He closed the book. The apartment felt impossibly small. He shuffled over to the window, watching the world move by, feeling himself still.