Gemotions

He discovered it tucked away in the back of a drawer, a list of aspirations in her elegant handwriting. *Go on a hot air balloon ride.* *Learn to paint.* *Write a children's book.*

He’d always thought he knew her. They had spent years together. This list, though, felt like a secret whispered in a language he didn't understand. A sense of unease washed over him, a cold tide that threatened to pull him under. He didn’t know how to deal with this information.

His chest felt tight. He ran a hand through his hair, a nervous habit. The silence in the room was deafening, amplified by the sharp, insistent ticking of the grandfather clock in the hallway.