Gemotions

The house seemed to shrink around Daniel, each room a reminder of the absence. He felt like a ship lost at sea, tossed about by unpredictable waves of grief. He was adrift. He was empty. He felt as though he’d been abandoned in the middle of nowhere.

He found a small, decorated box in the back of his father’s closet. Inside, nestled beneath a collection of old photographs, was a faded piece of paper. Scrawled across it, in his father’s handwriting, was a list of ambitions and quiet joys. "Visit Italy," it began. "Learn to play chess." He closed his eyes, overwhelmed by a sudden, intense longing.

He was tired of feeling this way.