Gemotions

He stared at the menu, barely registering the options. Daniel ran his thumb over the embossed lettering of the card. He felt a throbbing sensation behind his eyes. He preferred to be anywhere else.

The endless stream of small talk was grating. Each forced smile and hollow compliment grated on his nerves. He watched his father, beaming, as if he hadn't spent the last thirty years being… his father.

As the speeches commenced, the tension in the room ratcheted up another notch. When his name was called, Daniel stood, feeling the blood drain from his face. The microphone felt like a dead weight in his hand.