Gemotions

The lawyer had just finished reading the will, and now, it was Emma's job to go through her father's belongings. His meticulous organization had always been a source of both comfort and irritation. She went through file after file, expecting the expected. Then, nestled between the insurance papers and the mortgage details, she found it: a small, spiral-bound notebook. A frisson of something she couldn't name ran through her.

The first entry read, in bold, capital letters: “CLIMB MOUNT EVEREST.” Emma choked, her hand flying to her mouth. Her father, a man who got winded walking up the stairs, wanted to climb Mount Everest? It was impossible.

She continued, the blood draining from her face. “Learn to code.” “Write a screenplay.” “Run a marathon.” Emma felt the room start to spin. The man she thought she knew… the chasm between her perception and this vibrant secret widened with each entry.