Gemotions

He’d almost missed it, buried in the depths of a generic real estate website. The photo – a professional shot, gleaming with sunlight – showed the front porch, the porch where he’d learned to ride his bike, where his father had taught him to throw a baseball. A wave of dizziness washed over him.

It was wrong. Everything was wrong. He felt a strange flutter in his stomach. The listing spoke of “investment opportunity” and “desirable location.” The words felt like a violation. He slammed the laptop shut, the sound echoing in his otherwise quiet apartment, and stood up, trying to shake off the oppressive feeling.