Gemotions

He held the invitation to the light, turning it over in his hands. Michael had been a jock, popular and confident. He had no reason to feel the way he did. His classmates would probably still be talking about the time he made the winning touchdown. Still, he knew what he had to do.

He began by reaching out to his old football teammates, checking in on them, asking how they were. He knew some of them had struggled with injuries, and some with life after the sport.

At the reunion, he spotted a teammate across the room, looking uncomfortable. He walked over, clapped him on the shoulder, and pulled him into a warm hug. "Good to see you, man," he said, his voice sincere. "How have things been?"