Gemotions

The email sat in his inbox, a digital summons. His neighbor, Emily, wanted to talk about the towering pine that loomed over her side of the fence. He knew what she wanted. He'd seen her watching it, a shadow of discontent in her eyes, even though it was her fault for choosing to live next to it in the first place.

He scrolled through the pictures of the pine, imagining its removal. A vast emptiness, where the needles now whispered in the wind. He slammed the laptop closed. A dull throb began behind his eyes.

He went out to the back yard. He touched the thick, rough bark, its rough texture a sharp contrast to his own smooth skin. He kicked a fallen pinecone, sending it skittering across the lawn. The air felt suddenly heavy, thick with a sadness that he could not name.