Gemotions

The fire crackled merrily in the hearth, casting dancing shadows on the walls as David pulled the letter closer to the light. It was a missive addressed to his father, a man who, despite a lifetime of trying, he could never fully comprehend. David hadn't sent it. He had always been afraid of rejection.

He chewed on his lip, the wood fire's warmth doing little to thaw the iciness in his limbs. The room felt suddenly cramped, the air thick with unspoken things. The words on the page, filled with a desperate longing for connection, were a mirror reflecting his lifelong sense of disconnect.