Gemotions

"You alright, Dad?" The question from his son snapped Daniel out of his trance. He didn't answer, just shrugged, his eyes still glued to the house. The kid was leaning against the car door, kicking idly at the gravel. Daniel had brought him along, figuring the boy could use some lessons on history and the past.

The air was heavy and still, the only sound the distant rumble of the machinery. His shoulders felt tight, and his gaze drifted to the broken swing set in the backyard. The place was a shell now, devoid of life. He felt the familiar knot forming in his throat.

He remembered his own father, his tough but gentle giant of a dad, teaching him how to catch a baseball on that lawn, the way his voice had boomed with pride. He felt a deep, unshakeable sense of emptiness. He was tempted to take a cigarette from his pocket, but decided against it.