Gemotions

The phone rang. It was his old friend, inviting him out. He felt a sharp pang of both desire and resistance. He had to ask for permission.

He looked over at his father, engrossed in his newspaper, and hesitated. He thought of all the times he’d been granted the freedom of not asking before. He felt a deep sense of shame.

"Dad?" he began, the word feeling foreign on his tongue. He explained the invitation, waiting for an assessment.

The answer, when it came, was a simple, “Sure.” But the lack of immediate support, the unstated expectation of responsibility, made him feel trapped.

He sat by the phone, feeling the invitation slip away, as if it was a freedom he couldn't grasp.