Gemotions

He ran a hand through his already disheveled hair, the gesture more a display of agitation than an attempt to tidy himself. Thomas felt a knot forming in his stomach, a physical manifestation of the rising panic. He imagined the scene: his father's face, the disappointment etched deep in the lines he’d carried for years. The award ceremony, the chance to finally make amends, was vanishing like smoke. He swallowed hard, the dryness in his throat mirroring the desert of possibilities he now faced.