Gemotions

The car keys felt heavy in his hand. Alex stood frozen in the driveway, watching his daughter, Chloe, walk away, her back straight and her new saffron robe flowing in the wind. She was off to her first Hare Krishna temple service. He felt an ache in his chest, a hollow void where his daughter's familiar presence used to reside.

He thought of all the times he’d tried to get her to come to the church services with him and his wife. He had failed, and now he was left with an absence. He let the keys fall from his grasp, the metallic clatter echoing in the quiet suburban street.

He sat in the driver's seat, the leather feeling cold and unforgiving against his skin. He rested his head against the steering wheel, his shoulders shaking slightly.