Gemotions

He found the letter tucked amongst the bills, the cheap paper almost vibrating in his hand. The words, so carefully chosen, dripped with the syrupy sweetness of regret. He tossed it onto the cluttered kitchen table, the cheap, chipped surface reflecting the harsh fluorescent light. Twenty years. Two decades since the betrayal that had ripped his life apart.

He picked at a loose thread on his worn sweater, his gaze fixed on the letter. It was an admission of guilt, a plea for… what? Understanding? He snorted. He’d lived his life in the desolate aftermath of their actions. The memory of the event and the man behind it were burned into his mind. He glanced at the clock; it was time to check on the irrigation system he had spent the last 3 hours working on. He felt satisfaction as he turned off the kitchen light. It wasn’t a coincidence that he'd moved far away.

He reached for his jacket, pulling it on with a grunt. He could almost feel the weight of the old life, the one the letter was now trying to bring back to life. He would not be bringing that life back into the present.