Gemotions

Rain hammered against the windowpane, mirroring the relentless drumming in Liam's chest. He stared at the eviction notice taped to the refrigerator. Their landlord had issued it, a consequence of the persistent noise complaints. He chewed his lip, tracing the jagged edges of the paper with his fingertip. Sarah’s insistence on getting a parrot was the reason. He glanced at the birdcage, draped with a sheet. It felt like a monument to their crumbling agreement.

Liam felt a knot tighten in his stomach. He hadn’t slept well since Sarah brought the parrot home. The incessant squawking, the mess, the added financial burden—it was all too much. He missed the peace. He missed their quiet evenings, the shared meals, the comfortable silence that once filled their apartment.

He picked up a dirty dish, his hands trembling slightly. "I just don't understand," he muttered, mostly to himself, the words barely audible over the storm. The thought of finding a new place, the expense, the upheaval, was overwhelming.