Gemotions

He’d agreed, of course. What else could he do? Mr. Chen, his new neighbor, was adamant. The sycamore, blocking his view. But the decision hung over him, heavy and suffocating.

He found himself irritable, snapping at his kids for trivial things. The food tasted bland, the television offered no comfort. He had to keep moving, doing something. Mowing the lawn, scrubbing the deck, anything to keep the feeling at bay.

He went to the hardware store, buying a new bird feeder, determined to bring some life into the now vulnerable space. He imagined the void, where the tree would be, a gaping hole that would swallow his peace.