Gemotions

The drive to the country club felt interminable. David kept the radio off, the silence amplifying the quiet ache he felt. His parents' retirement party. He should be excited, happy. Instead, a sense of weary resignation filled him.

He arrived at the club and moved about with a languid indifference. The buffet table shimmered with food, but he had no appetite. He picked at a roll, the texture dry and unappealing.

He hated this part. The speeches were now upon him. His throat constricted at the thought, a sense of dread pooling within. He longed to be anywhere else.