Gemotions

Rain lashed against the window, mirroring the tempest inside Daniel. He slumped on the sofa, the bucket list clutched in his hand. “Climb Mount Kilimanjaro,” it read in his father’s bold handwriting. He’d found it tucked inside a well-worn hiking boot. His father, the man who had always craved adventure, now only existed in a handful of faded photographs.

Daniel squeezed the paper until the edges crinkled. He hadn't bothered to call him for weeks leading up to the accident, too caught up in his own petty problems. He should have at least said the words ‘I love you’ one last time.

He felt the metallic taste of regret rise in his throat. His father had wanted so much, and Daniel had been too preoccupied to care. He closed his eyes, picturing the summit of Kilimanjaro, a place he knew his father had dreamt of conquering. A place he would never reach.