Gemotions

The flickering candlelight cast dancing shadows as David sat alone in his mother’s favourite armchair. He held the worn notebook, the paper brittle and yellowed. The list was a roadmap of a life he never knew his mother wanted. "Swim with dolphins." "Paint a masterpiece." "Be truly happy."

He hadn't picked up a paintbrush since childhood. His days were spent in a monotonous office, the fluorescent lights sucking the colour from his life. His wife said he had become distant and withdrawn. David found it hard to disagree.

He closed his eyes, his chest constricting. A profound sense of loss, not just for his mother, but for himself, washed over him. The candle flame seemed to taunt him, dancing with a vibrancy he could no longer find.