Gemotions

"Well, that's just perfect," muttered Liam, watching the destruction from his back deck. His own finances were a shambles. He'd been hoping to refinance his mortgage, but the banks were being difficult. Now, Mrs. Chen's ancient cherry tree lay across her fence, and a chunk of it was resting squarely on *his* property.

He ran a hand over his stubble, a gesture he used when he was battling himself. He had a feeling about this. His gut was telling him something bad would come from this. He knew that this would mean more work for him.

He kicked at a loose stone on the deck. His head throbbed. He’d barely slept in days, haunted by the numbers, the debts, the feeling of being trapped. He wasn't sure he could face one more thing.