Gemotions

The tiny, perfectly frosted cupcakes, each topped with a sugary replica of a miniature retirement badge, repulsed him. He had avoided them, but the temptation to escape from it all was palpable. The whole room felt like a giant, suffocating hug, and it was the worst kind.

The endless stream of well-wishers and their vacuous pronouncements grated on his nerves. He watched his mother accept a particularly effusive embrace, a forced smile plastered on her face, and felt a wave of… something that he couldn’t name, but definitely felt. He felt itchy all over.

He fumbled with the microphone. “Right,” he said, his voice clipped. “So, uh… here’s to… the future.” The words seemed to hang in the air, hollow and meaningless. He hated this charade.