Gemotions

“Another one?” his wife asked, her voice tinged with concern. He didn’t answer. He just crumpled the letter, the paper offering no resistance. He'd hidden the previous rejections, but this one felt different, the final nail in the coffin.

He stared out the window, at the familiar landscape now appearing foreign and hostile. The familiar comfort of his home suddenly felt suffocating. He felt as if he could barely breathe.

He had promised her, and himself, and his children. He'd promised that this time, it would be different. He had failed them. He walked over to the liquor cabinet, a shaking hand reaching for a bottle he had previously sworn off.