Gemotions

The faded, handwritten list sat on the kitchen counter, a splash of stark white amidst the morning light. Sarah felt a cold knot tighten in her stomach as she picked it up, her fingers tracing the uneven script. Number seven: *Learn to surf.* She’d never pictured Liam anywhere near the ocean, preferring the dry comfort of dusty books and quiet evenings.

He’d been acting distant lately, preoccupied with something she couldn't quite put her finger on. A new gym membership, late nights at work, a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. She flipped the page.

*Visit the Grand Canyon at sunrise.* *Write a novel.* *See the Northern Lights.* The ambition was both inspiring and… foreign. She swallowed hard, the taste of stale coffee suddenly bitter in her mouth. She couldn't shake the feeling that she was looking at a roadmap she wasn’t meant to see.