Gemotions

The small, cluttered living room offered no comfort. The list, penned on a stained napkin, trembled in his trembling fingers. "Learn to speak Spanish," he read, his voice cracking. His grandfather had always loved the language, humming Spanish folk songs as he cooked. He felt a sting behind his eyes. He squeezed the napkin in his fist. He could almost hear his grandfather's booming laughter, now replaced by the deafening silence of the empty house. The quiet was a tangible thing, pressing in on him, making it hard to breathe.