Gemotions

He didn’t know why he’d expected anything different. He should have known this would happen. The world, and time, always moved forward, regardless of his wishes. The knowledge, however, provided no comfort.

He walked around the stump, a slow, deliberate circuit. Each step was measured, as if he were taking an inventory of the loss. The small space where the tree had once stood felt larger, more exposed.

He pulled his phone out, and looked at the pictures he had taken of the tree through the years. They all felt distant, like memories from another life. He dropped the phone back in his pocket, as if it was a useless weight.