Gemotions

He found the account purely by accident, a suggested friend on his own profile. Mark felt a sudden heat rise in his cheeks when he saw the name: “Riley’s Real Life.” His son, Liam, had been so secretive lately, always glued to his phone, locking the screen whenever Mark walked in the room. He clicked, and the carefully constructed image of Liam's life unfolded. He was popular, adventurous, surrounded by laughing friends. Mark saw a sharp contrast to his own shy, awkward son.

He dropped the phone on the couch, the cheap plastic clattering against the cushion. He felt an intense urge to disappear, to vanish into the folds of the upholstery. He couldn't meet his wife's eyes when she entered the room. "Everything alright?" she asked. He mumbled something about work. He couldn't bring himself to even look at her; he felt the need to shrink.

He retreated to the garage, where he spent hours meticulously organizing tools, anything to avoid the inevitable confrontation, the disappointment he knew would be reflected in Liam's eyes.