Gemotions

He hadn't been to a bookstore in years. Now, he was desperate. He found himself wandering the aisles, searching for something, anything, to distract him. He picked up a worn copy of "War and Peace." A photograph fell out.

It was a picture of a smiling couple, arm in arm. He felt a stab of recognition, then a wave of despair. The faces, so vibrant, so full of joy, were a mirror of his lost happiness.

He stared at the photograph, unable to look away. He remembered a time when he could smile like that, when joy felt real. He wanted to scream. He felt his face crumple as the weight of his losses crashed down upon him. He clutched the photograph, wanting to destroy it.