Gemotions

The news punched him in the gut. Thomas, staring at the screen, felt his throat constrict. He hadn't been back in years. Didn't want to. But now… seeing the familiar address plastered across the real estate website, a cold wave of something he couldn't name washed over him. He felt oddly flattened, as though the air had been sucked out of the room.

He’d been avoiding this. Avoiding the past. Avoiding the feelings that had come with leaving. The listing’s description, a saccharine summary of his family’s life, was infuriating. "Perfect for a growing family," it read. The words felt like a direct mockery of his current, solitary existence.

He stood up, pacing the small confines of his apartment. He stubbed his toe against a chair, the small pain a welcome distraction from the larger ache growing within him. His hand went to his chest. There was a dull pressure there, a feeling of being squeezed.

He went to the window, the city lights below seeming to mock his isolation. He felt a deep, profound yearning, a longing for something he couldn't quite grasp.