Gemotions

The weight in Leo’s stomach was crushing. He sat on the back porch, staring at the perfectly manicured lawn, the sunshine, the idyllic scene. He’d poured his heart into renovating the house, making it a home. Now, the knowledge of the past turned everything sour.

He reread the details. A domestic dispute. A wife. A husband. Gone. He thought of his own wife. He felt a knot tighten in his throat. He took a shaky breath, trying to calm himself.

He ran his hand through his hair, a gesture of helplessness. The air felt heavy, as if the past had seeped into the very soil. He wanted to leave, to escape this place. He felt a desperate urge to run away.