Gemotions

Her palms were slick, and she gripped the microphone stand with a ferocity she hadn't known she possessed. The ballroom swam into soft focus as she tried to scan the faces – aunts, uncles, cousins, friends of her mom and dad she hadn't seen in years. The sheer number of people gathered to celebrate… it was a feat of organization. She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. She hadn't expected this many.

The spotlight felt like a furnace against her skin. Her legs felt like jelly, each one trembling slightly. Her mother, across the room, beamed at her. Dad winked. She cleared her throat, the sound loud in the sudden hush.

She began to speak, her voice a little higher than usual. She talked about childhood memories, about the smell of her dad’s aftershave, about the warmth of her mom’s hugs. She felt a lightness in her chest, a strange kind of liberation as the words poured out of her.