Gemotions

The worn leather-bound photo album sat on the table. The collection of photographs documenting generations of his family. His sister needed money, and she wanted to sell it. He felt winded.

He flipped through the pages, each image a painful reminder of what might be lost. He could feel his hands shaking. He looked up at the ceiling, then turned back to the album.

He couldn't bring himself to speak, to negotiate. He wandered the house, restless, as if searching for something he had lost. His stomach hurt.