Gemotions

“Mom, it’s… it’s the house,” Leo stammered into the phone. His voice cracked. He sat hunched over his phone, his body tense. He’d seen the listing, and the images were almost too much to bear. The swing set, the rose bushes, all things he had left behind so long ago.

He could feel his chest tighten. His mother tried to comfort him, but her words seemed hollow, bouncing off the walls of the emotion he couldn't control. All he could see was the house. He felt the phantom pain of a missing piece.

He cut the call short, needing to be alone. He stared at the ceiling, feeling a profound sense of… unease. He closed his eyes, willing the images to disappear, but they were etched into his mind.