Gemotions

The letter lay on the coffee table, pristine and cold. "Important Notice Regarding Your Tenancy." Michael felt his breath catch in his throat, a sudden tightness in his chest. He glanced around his apartment, once a symbol of his hard work and independence, now suddenly fragile.

He started avoiding the other tenants in the hallways, suddenly embarrassed to make eye contact. Their shared experience of the notice felt almost too intimate, too raw. He kept to himself, seeking solace in the anonymity of his own routines.

He spent hours meticulously cleaning his apartment, scrubbing floors, dusting shelves, as if he could erase the impending changes with a little elbow grease. Everything needed to be perfect, as if that would somehow change the situation.