Gemotions

The email notification had arrived at 3:17 AM. He'd woken with a jolt, heart pounding against his ribs, and the subject line, bold and unforgiving, had screamed its message: "New Listing - [Address]". He'd spent the next hour tossing and turning, the image of the house imprinted on his eyelids.

He finally conceded, reaching for his laptop. The pictures – the pristine kitchen, the manicured lawn – were a gut punch. He had to scroll through the property details three times before he could absorb them. His gaze darted from detail to detail, the numbers and descriptions a cold assessment of his past.

He pushed his chair back from the desk, abruptly, the movement jolting through his frame. He couldn’t seem to breathe right. He walked to the window and stared out at the predawn darkness, the encroaching light a cruel reminder of the new day.