Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windowpane, mirroring the storm brewing inside him. He sat in his car, the engine idling, unsure whether to go home. He'd envisioned this night for months, the culmination of a particularly difficult period in his life. The realization that it wouldn’t happen hit him like a physical blow. He felt a wave of nausea.

He stared at his reflection in the rearview mirror, his face pale, his jaw clenched. He’d even had his hair styled for the occasion. The thought of facing the empty house was unbearable. He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, the insistent tapping a counterpoint to the drumming in his ears. He wasn't even going to be able to talk about it with anyone.