Gemotions

The humidity clung to him like a second skin. He wiped the sweat from his brow, his movements slow and deliberate. Sorting through his grandmother’s belongings was a task he’d gladly avoid. Each object triggered memories he preferred to leave buried. He just wanted to get it over with.

He was rummaging through a box of old papers, when he saw it, a letter, the paper brittle and yellowed with age. It was addressed to his grandfather’s employer, a law firm. He hesitated a moment before unfolding it, and then he read it.

His grandfather, a man of unwavering principles and rigid discipline, had walked away from a partnership, from a life of prestige. The letter cited irreconcilable differences, a vague and carefully crafted explanation. He felt a sting in his eyes. He crumpled the letter in his fist, feeling a frustration rise. His grandfather had never spoken of this before, never revealed this hidden wound. The secrets were a weight.