Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the breakroom buzzed, a high-pitched whine that amplified the tension churning within him. He avoided eye contact, shuffling the papers in his hands, trying to appear busy. Across the small table, Emily chatted animatedly about her upcoming camping trip, a smile plastered across her face. He envied her lightness.

"I can't believe I'm going camping, it's so exciting." Emily said.

"That's great," he mumbled, his voice flat. He felt a familiar tightness in his chest.

"Did you ever go camping when you were a kid?" she asked.

He stiffened, the question catching him off guard. "Not really," he deflected, his gaze fixed on the chipped paint of the wall. He felt a sudden, inexplicable urge to flee the room, to escape the suffocating familiarity of the space.

“Oh, that’s too bad," she said, "I remember going to this camp called, Camp Serenity. It was magical, so many happy memories." He was quiet, the images of his childhood, that camp, flooding his mind, he felt choked up and overwhelmed.