Gemotions

The hospital room felt sterile and cold. I found my father’s list tucked inside a well-worn copy of *The Odyssey*. *Go to Greece. Learn to play chess. Help someone less fortunate.* It felt like he was still here, challenging me from beyond the grave.

I swallowed, a strange heat spreading in my chest. The thought of Greece, the thought of chess… it all seemed so complicated, so distant. The last entry felt like a direct command. I felt a tightening in my throat.

I couldn’t breathe properly. The air felt thin and empty. I rose from the chair and walked away, needing to put some distance between me and the list.