Construction.

He was surrounded by boxes. Most of them were full.

That morning he dismantled the furniture that they had built together: the dining table on which they hosted brunches, lunches, and dinners; the wooden shelves they had carefully selected from that antique shop; and the sofa on which he had spent many nights in past weeks.

He tried to focus his attention on specific tasks. Folding a shirt. Sealing a box. He found himself contemplating how long it takes to build things and how easily things fall apart.