Gemotions

He found the card, a brightly colored spectacle of balloons and confetti. "Hope you have a fantastic day!" it promised, the handwriting a bubbly scrawl. A knot formed in his stomach. He wasn’t sure he wanted a fantastic day.

He retreated to the familiar safety of his bedroom, the card a foreign object in his grasp. He thought of his family, but the thought was quickly chased away by a wave of shame. He couldn't go home.

The room seemed to shrink, the walls closing in. He felt a deep, pervasive need for approval, for validation. He felt a need, a deep need for someone else to tell him it was okay. He felt alone.