Gemotions

The lawyer’s office seemed cramped, the air thick with unspoken expectations. Mark listened to the hushed apologies, the explanation of the error. The bad news, the life-altering news, wasn't his. The test results showing the devastating diagnosis were mixed up with someone else's. His were… clear.

He ran a hand through his already thinning hair, a gesture of helplessness. He'd sold his house, quit his job, and made the heartbreaking decisions necessary for his family to move on without him. Now, what? He was a ghost, a phantom of what he thought he'd become.

He felt like a marionette, his strings abruptly cut. He no longer knew which way to turn. The prospect of rebuilding, of re-entering the world he thought he was leaving, filled him with a profound sense of… exhaustion.