Gemotions

"Swim with dolphins," muttered Thomas, his voice raspy. He stared at the list, the paper brittle in his sweaty hands. He'd stumbled upon it while looking for a pen in the desk drawer. His wife, Emily, was at a book club meeting, a place he hadn't been invited to in years.

He kept reading. "Learn to sail." "Volunteer at an animal shelter." She'd been speaking less and less about her own life, about her aspirations. He’d assumed she was content.

He felt a knot tighten in his stomach. He didn’t know how to navigate the waters of her silence, of their stagnant relationship. He stood and walked to the window, watching the rain blur the already muted cityscape.