Gemotions

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the living room as Liam watched his sister's daughter, Chloe, at the craft table. A picture of a knight, Sir Reginald the Brave, caught his attention. It was exactly as he'd imagined him as a child. A knot formed in his stomach.

He'd been avoiding phone calls, ignoring emails, and generally isolating himself. Everything felt heavy, difficult. The drawing was a further reminder of the world’s simple joys that he felt unable to touch.

He cleared his throat. "That's... quite a knight." Chloe looked up at him, her eyes bright with enthusiasm. He found the words to say something, but they felt hollow even to his ears. He turned and walked away, needing to escape the suffocating feeling.